The MOOC Healthy Urban Systems stresses numerous urban health issues and solutions in a comprehensive introduction on Multidisciplinary Frameworks, Observations & Measures, Concepts & Theories, Modeling Tools, Scenarios Design, and Policies and governance.
The up-to-date knowledge is based on various examples, on their implication for the contemporaneous questions, and on the most recent tools and technics of systemic approaches, machine learning, open and FAIR data, participatory, collaborative and action-research. It encourages place-based policies WITH the people and FOR the people in a multi-scale and long-term perspective beyond SDGs’ 2030 and towards the new “Pact for the Future” 2050.
30 international researchers, practitioners and professionals in North and South countries participated to this initiative, that is coordinated and produced by the University of Lausanne – UNIL together with:
- the International Science Council program on Urban Health and Wellbeing (ISC – UHWB)
- the Institute of Urban Environment (IUE), Chinese Academy of Science in Xiamen, China.
- the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
- the HUE (Healthy Urban Environments) Collaboratory
- the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health (HQ/ECH)
Applied Learning Project
What is unique about urban health, is the broad understanding of the root causes of health and disease, as described by planetary boundaries and social determinants of health; how they affect health of citizens and of the city itself, and how urban responses can build synergies and contribute to health, wellbeing and equity as well as ensure that the planet carrying capacity is preserved. Urban health responds both to the ecological boundaries and to the social foundations as illustrated in the Doughnut Economics image by Kate Raworth.