Pre-conference: Disasters, Cities and Health - A multi-disciplinary walking experience in Berlin

Wednesday 9 November, 14:00 – 17:00 CET

Organised by:

EUPHA Public mental health, Environment and health and Urban public health sections

Background

The aim of the pre-conference “Disasters, Cities and Health. A multi-disciplinary walking experience in Berlin.” - organized by the three EUPHA Public Mental Health, Environment and Health, and Urban Public Health sections - is to share a physical walking experience into the built environment of the city hosting the EPH Conference 2022. It will be a moment of observation and a real-time and informal discussion of the urban features that have impacts on public health, like healthy lifestyles adoption and cities’ resilience to climate change, environmental and sanitary disasters.

Climate change affecting our cities, which together with periods of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic - creates difficulties from the social point of view especially in the cities with poor accessibility of public spaces and green areas. They are a strong reminder that urbanization and current cities’ configuration like density, housing inequalities, air/noise/visual pollution, lack of blue&green areas, cause several risks to public and individual health.

Features like green, blue or grey infrastructures; biodiversity protection; adverse meteorological event management, intermodal public transport system planning, vehicular traffic reduction, cycling and pedestrian routes availability, social and functional mix, solid waste management devices, integration of the renewable energy systems into the outdoor places, open space lighting/shading solutions, and accessibility of public spaces, will be observed and discussed with participants.

The pre-conference's overall purpose is to foster the dialogue between technical professions and public health experts. The organizers are pleased to welcome designers (urban planners and architects), policy/decision makers, public health experts (epidemiologists and local health authorities) and dity residents (city users, associations, etc.) to establish a multidisciplinary approach for understanding together strategies to reduce health risks factors, to improve health by creating a living environment more linked to a healthy lifestyle, and finally, to design a sustainable and resilient environment.

Venue / Meeting point

The meeting point will be the main entrance of the Hub27 Berlin.

Registration

The registration fee is € 20. Lunch and refreshments are not included.