Charlene Brooks, CEO at Belfast Healthy Cities

It was a privilege to join the 8th Healthy City Design International Congress, hosted in Liverpool a few short weeks ago, as both an in-person and virtual event. Over two days, there were an incredible 32 sessions and more than 100 talks, workshops and posters. I was joined by a wide range of individuals and organisations including political representatives, government officials, architects, designers, researchers and the V&C sector.

Stand out sessions included the Strategies for Healthy Street Design workshop – a powerful depiction of the impact of busy, overcrowded, noisy streets particularly on neuro-divergent people.

The solutions offered were not revolutionary, rather they simply reflected the need to listen and pay attention to the differing needs for our differing bodies and minds. But how? Engage communities, bridge the gaps between stakeholders – and plan spaces that work for all. Spaces that were noted to work particularly well included diverse spaces that have a mix of quiet space, sensory stations, seating, rest rooms, more nature and safer streets.

Noise and light were recurring themes across a number of workshops and depictions of streets with good lighting which help people to feel safe – that included lighting which faces downwards, significantly reducing light pollution at night to aid sleep in residential areas.

Feeling safe was cited frequently as a barrier – an example of how this can be addressed by engaging a local community was given in Cumberland, where the placemaking tool has been adopted. It had been identified that many students were choosing to drive, even a short distance to their campus and after some consultation it became clear that one of the main walking routes had a dark tunnel which resulted in people not feeling safe and avoiding it. People and planners came together and redesigned the space – it has been transformed into a light bright walkway with CCTV, lighting and where artwork is proudly displayed giving local students a sense of pride or ownership. This one small adaption has resulted in an increase in footfall and less traffic which is a significant outcome.

The benefit of communities and community participation was discussed across many of the workshops – building spaces and housing that encourages community engagement and cohesion. Spaces for people to meet, communicate and truly feel part of a community can nurture their wellbeing and social development as well as creating a physical environment which is conducive to supporting good health and wellbeing.

A workshop considering the impact of urban environments on children’s wellbeing is particularly relevant to Belfast Healthy Cities. Our Programme ‘Healthy Places Healthy Children’ helps children consider the impact of the built environment on their health and wellbeing and the ‘Walking Bus’ encourages children to actively travel to school. The evidence presented at the conference echoed the importance of such initiatives to not only be piloted but to be sustained and embedded in our everyday education for children. A significant quote for me on the day was “Safer streets by design mean happier and more relaxed children that will enjoy their trips and urban life more”.

It is evident that when funders, policy-makers and urban planners engage meaningfully with communities, then even the starkest health inequalities can be addressed.