Call for urban developers and land managers to aid healthier cities research

Researchers are calling for urban development and land professionals to take part in a project to help shape the way places are created for better population health. 

The research programme, run by six universities including the University of Stirling and University of Bristol, is looking for people with a strong understanding of the land and development industries to help improve knowledge of how urban developers think about health when planning projects. 

The insight will help the research team build interventions that challenge and influence corporate mindsets towards healthier outcomes. 

It is part of Tackling the Root causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development (TRUUD), a transdisciplinary research programme involving more than 40 researchers across six universities which aims to reduce non-communicable disease (such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illness) and health inequalities linked to the quality of urban planning and development.  

Dr Krista Bondy of the University of Stirling Management School is heading up a part of the project investigating how land and development industries view health in their practice. She said: “Improving the health of urban communities is a very complex issue. We know from our initial research with 132 professionals from across the urban development system in the UK that dominant ways of thinking are a barrier to achieving this. 

“This next phase of our research takes a more in-depth look at the way urban development professionals think and are influenced about health considerations to help us build meaningful tools for the industry.” 

The interviews will be conducted by an academic during an hour-long video call by mid-February 2024. Anyone interested in taking part can contact Sophie Turnbull at the University of Bristol by email on Sophie.turnbull@bristol.ac.uk.  

There is also an opportunity for participants to become advisors to the research programme.