Our CEO, Charlene Brooks, spoke to Frank Mitchell on U105 about how we can create a city that truly works for children and young people.

During the interview, Charlene highlighted how powerful children’s voices can be when it comes to advocating for green and blue spaces. Children instinctively understand that access to parks, nature and outdoor space supports both their physical and mental health, and they are often some of the strongest champions for protecting and improving these places.

Charlene also spoke about the need to rethink congestion outside schools, particularly the impact of traffic and air quality on children’s health. Creating safer, cleaner environments around schools is a crucial part of designing healthier urban spaces.

Belfast Healthy Cities works closely with GroundsWell Consortium at Queen’s University Belfast to explore how the urban environment affects health and wellbeing. This includes initiatives such as our Walking Buses and wider research into green and blue spaces. Groundswell’s work across Belfast, Liverpool and Edinburgh helps connect the data, evidence and lived experience, putting the pieces of the puzzle together to show why greener cities matter.