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Healthy cities for healthy people

An open public workshop and discussion inviting people to discover how the urban environment influences our health

Healthy cities for healthy people, an open public workshop and discussion inviting people to discover how the urban environment influences our health.
Date
14/10/2026
Hour
18:30-20:00
Place
Patio Manning (Carrer de Montalegre, 7, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona)

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC), within the framework of Barcelona Architecture Capital 2026 and the UBDPolicy project, are organising an open public workshop and discussion on 14 October in Barcelona to explore, in an accessible and participatory way, how the environment in which we live directly influences our health. Through dialogue between experts in the exposome, environmental health, architecture and urban planning and members of the public, the event will highlight how everyday factors such as air quality, noise, green spaces, street design and the way we move around the city have a direct impact on our physical and mental well-being.

The event will introduce key concepts such as the exposome and healthy urban planning, explaining in a clear and engaging way how urban planning and design decisions can either promote or undermine population health. To this end, visual examples, live questions and interactive activities will help participants connect their everyday urban experiences with the latest scientific evidence.

In addition, participants will be introduced to open-access tools for exploring urban health indicators and comparing different cities, fostering a better-informed public with greater capacity to interpret data about their own environment. The programme will also include practical demonstrations of environmental sensors and healthy building materials, highlighting the importance of transparency and public access to information as key drivers for promoting healthier urban environments and better-informed policies.

This interdisciplinary dialogue aims to raise public awareness of the crucial role that the urban environment plays in collective health and to inspire a shared reflection on how to design cities that are healthier, more sustainable and more liveable for everyone.