URBACT Healthy Cities

Bradford is participating in Healthy Cities, an URBACT Action Planning Network financially funded and supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the URBACT Programme.

URBACT is a European Territorial Cooperation programme fostering sustainable integrated urban development in cities across Europe.

Healthy Cities from Planning to Action network aims to deepen the relationship between health and the urban environment, planning actions that focus on improving the population’s health, while developing a rigorous health impact assessment around it.

Urban Planning can become a health generator on many grounds.  As a part of the URBACT Programme, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, this network of cities reflects the multiplicity of possible approaches to tackle the issue: green areas, mobility, social cohesion or promotion of sports are some examples.

The Action Planning Network is developed in two phases:

• Phase One: 6 months - September 2019 to March 2020
• Phase Two:  24 months - May 2020 to May 2022

In Phase One, Bradford established its project team – the URBACT Local Group and set defined our vision for a city that is distinctive, successful and a great place, a Healthy City where our urban population experiences an attractive healthy environment when they come into the city centre. A city that is transformed to enable new and sustainable styles of living that are attractive to all our communities, provides economic opportunity for all and is the cultural heart of the district. We aim to put people at the heart of this transformation.  Innovative design and delivery will be key in achieving this, as will collaborative working and capacity building to ensure all people and stakeholders are able to shape this future

Cities in the network includes

• Vic (Spain - Lead Partner)
• Alphen aan den Rijn (Netherlands)
• Anyksciai (Lithuania)
• Falerna (Italy)
• Farkadona (Greece)
• Loulé (Portugal)
• Pärnu (Estonia)
• Planning Authority of Malta.

Project Lead

Saira Ali
Team Leader
Landscape Design and Conservation
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Email: saira.ali@bradford.gov.uk