Belfast Healthy Cities has announced Perla Mansour, Network Delivery Manager at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, as the recipient of the 2025 Healthy Cities Explorer Bursary. Perla will travel to the Czech Republic at the end of October, visiting Prague and Brno to explore innovative ways cities are tackling transport poverty including the lack of affordable, reliable, safe and accessible transport that affects health, wellbeing and opportunity.
During her visit, Perla will work closely with Healthy City Brno and other local stakeholders to examine how cities are using community engagement, co-planning and co-design to improve transport planning. She will look at how transport data can better reflect “invisible journeys” – the trips people cannot currently make because of cost, safety, physical barriers or poor service availability.
“Current transport master planning often relies too heavily on historical travel data, mapping only the journeys people already make,” Perla explains. “This leaves out those who can’t travel due to barriers like affordability, safety or accessibility and it’s often these communities who need good transport the most. My visit will explore how Prague and Brno gather richer data and involve communities in planning, so future transport strategies don’t leave anyone behind.”
The Healthy Cities Explorer Bursary is offered annually by Belfast Healthy Cities to support professionals to learn from other members of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Healthy Cities Network. This year’s bursary focuses on tackling transport poverty, reflecting Belfast Healthy Cities’ work on active travel, walking buses, Healthy Transport teaching resources, and improving health equity through better infrastructure.
Charlene Brooks, CEO of Belfast Healthy Cities, said:
“We’re delighted to award this year’s Explorer Bursary to Perla. Transport poverty is a critical issue in Belfast, impacting health, opportunity and inclusion. Learning from other European Healthy Cities is a key way we can bring fresh thinking back on a local level. Perla’s expertise with Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and her focus on community-driven data will be invaluable in shaping better, fairer transport planning here.”
On her return, Perla will share her findings widely. She plans to publish a blog and news article with Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, post updates during her trip on social media, and work with Belfast Healthy Cities to share learning with Stormont’s Infrastructure Committee, Belfast City Council, and local networks. She also hopes to present insights through events and discussions with cities across Ireland and the UK, helping to influence long-term planning for healthier, more equitable transport.
The Explorer Bursary continues Belfast Healthy Cities’ mission to champion health equity, resilience and sustainable urban development, ensuring Belfast benefits from global best practice through the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.
