Last month, I had the privilege of attending the WHO Healthy Cities Network Annual Business Meeting in the vibrant city of Bursa, Türkiye. As always, the event was a chance to connect with fellow Healthy City Coordinators, national network leads, policymakers and public health professionals from across the WHO European Region and this year also included contributions from Asia and Australia. The energy, ambition and shared purpose of this global gathering left me both inspired and re-energised for the work ahead.

The theme of this year’s meeting was resilience – timely and essential. Cities are on the front lines of addressing complex issues like climate change, health inequity, and rapid urbanisation. As the WHO Network reminds us, “When nations talk, cities act.” It’s a phrase that really resonated during a week filled with collaboration, learning, and shared vision.

It was a proud moment for me personally and for Belfast Healthy Cities as we contributed two oral abstracts and a poster display to the conference. Our work on Healthy Places and Healthy Children and Greening the City showcased Belfast’s commitment to embedding health equity in how our city grows and evolves. Moderating the final conference session on “Place: Designing Healthy and Inclusive Spaces” was another highlight, where I had the opportunity to facilitate rich discussion on how urban environments shape our wellbeing.

One of the most compelling strands of the conference was the continued focus on Health in All Policies. A dedicated taskforce, featuring input from the Finnish and French networks, outlined a clear and practical framework for embedding health considerations across all sectors, from housing to transport to economic development.

The four pillars – governance, coordination, process, and resourcing – may sound technical, but they represent a powerful call to action: health should not sit in a silo. Instead, it must be woven through every decision, plan and investment a city makes.

Another standout moment came during discussions on the Wellbeing Economy. Moving beyond GDP as the measure of success, this approach challenges us to design economies that serve people and planet, not the other way around. As cities, we must focus on policies that prioritise quality of life, equity, and sustainability. The WHO Network is helping cities shift the narrative from managing problems to enabling people to thrive.

As part of our time in Bursa, I visited one of the city’s newest parks – at just 30 years old, it’s younger than many in Belfast but already leading the way in innovation. The park incorporates smart technology in ways that both improve sustainability and boost accessibility. Solar-powered lighting, app-based irrigation systems, free public Wi-Fi, and even child-safety features using real-time camera scanning show how green spaces can be both beautiful and smart.

While Belfast already has a proud legacy of community parks, this visit reminded me of the potential to future-proof our green spaces. Technology can be an ally in our push to make cities not only greener, but safer, more inclusive, and more connected.

A keynote session introduced a new WHO HCN theme – Preparedness – which urges cities to plan proactively for health and environmental shocks. Whether through integrated systems, cross-sector collaboration, or prioritising inclusion during crises, resilience must be at the heart of local governance.

That message was powerfully reinforced by Mayor Mustafa Bozbey of Bursa, who closed the conference with a commitment to environmental leadership, including planting 1,200 saplings to offset the conference’s footprint. It was a memorable, symbolic gesture, and a reminder of the role political leadership plays in driving bold, values-based action.

As I return to Belfast, I feel renewed commitment to the work we do at Belfast Healthy Cities. From urban planning to transport policy, green infrastructure to school programmes, we know that the city’s future health depends on the decisions we make today.

The WHO Healthy Cities Network continues to be a place of learning, leadership, and partnership. I’m proud that Belfast is not only a long-standing member of this global family but is also now Secretariat for the UK Healthy Cities National Network.

We’ll carry the momentum from Bursa into every conversation and collaboration we have because at its core, this work is about ensuring that cities are places where everyone can live well, regardless of background, income or postcode.