City Know-how

A resource 
from Cities & Health journal and partners

Unlocking
Urban Research
for Practice

We support city-makers and the communities they serve

in implementing sustainable development goals with evidence.

Our journal Cities & Health builds a close relationship with cities, driving the progress of urban health. We enable researchers to test new knowledge for real-world impact and equip practitioners with the latest findings to improve health and climate outcomes.

Through this platform, access a curated repository of posts derived from our peer-reviewed articles, featuring City Know-how posts; one-page summaries that translate scientific findings into practical tools for urban decision-makers.

Join our mission of building urban development skills for Research, Planning, Design, and Policy as instrumental steps toward creating healthier and sustainable communities.

Review concepts for goal alignment

Seek information on how to improve outcomes

Find references on spatial and climate solutions

Be informed about evidence-based policies

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About our Know-how articles...

Discover scientific insights across diverse topics, focusing on improving human health by enhancing urban ecosystems.

We explore more than 14 topics and subtopic areas organized into four distinct contribution types: City Know-hows to make research accessible, Case Studies to support planning, Visual Essays to illustrate design approaches, and City Shorts to showcase how policies are applied and put into action.

Built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.

Subtopics: 

  • Urban Planning 
  • Urban Design
  • Housing

Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations.

Subtopics: 

  • Environment and health 
  • Environment and city
  • Climate

The Health and Social Care sector consists of any organisation which provides healthcare support to people, for example hospitals, dentists, and specialist support like physiotherapy, and social care support, for example, nursing homes, foster caring, and nurseries.

Subtopics:

  • Health and society
  • Public health policy and practice

Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it.

Subtopics: 

  • Physical geography: nature and the effects it has on people and/or the environment.
  • Human geography: concerned with people.
  • Environmental geography: how people can harm or protect the environment.

Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts.

Built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.

Subtopics: 

  • Urban Planning 
  • Urban Design

The Health and Social Care sector consists of any organisation which provides healthcare support to people, for example hospitals, dentists, and specialist support like physiotherapy, and social care support, for example, nursing homes, foster caring, and nurseries.

Subtopics: 

  • Health and society
  • Public health policy and practice

 

 

Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations.

Subtopics: 

  • Environment and health 
  • Environment and city

Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it.

Subtopics: 

  • Physical geography: nature and the effects it has on people and/or the environment.
  • Human geography: concerned with people.
  • Environmental geography: how people can harm or protect the environment.

Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts.

Explore our City Know-how map

Next step: share your Know-how

Ready to impact urban development with your know how?
From May 2024, our platform will feature two unique article formats for you to contribute your experience.

  • ‘City Know-how’ translates peer-reviewed research into practical knowledge for city makers through one-page summaries.
  • ‘City Insights’ encompasses an extensive range of content, including Reflective Praxis, Case Studies, City Shorts, and more, providing in-depth analysis for sustainable urban development.

Get prepared! 

Take a look at our contribution types here!

Let the world know about your City Know-how.

Featured posts

Discover the most recent articles.

Regenerative urban design and planning: Insights from Turkey for cities worldwide

This study contributes to understanding the intersection of regenerative planning principles and legal frameworks. It identifies the extent to which Turkey’s urban planning legislation aligns with regenerative principles, highlights key gaps in the current system that restricts the integration of regenerative approaches and provides insights that can inform urban planning practices and legislative reforms globally.

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Four-walled or fourfold? Well-being in gated cities

Our study sheds light on the evolving dynamics of the Greater Cairo Region, adding depth to the understanding of whether gated communities act as true remedies or reflections of concrete houses. By incorporating a model based on critical factors for mental health, we offer insights into the nuanced dimensions of well-being in the context of urban development. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between city structure and residents’ overall well-being.

Read More »

Unlocking food access in rural Jordan: Evaluating land use regulations in Annuaymeh village

Through field observations, surveys with the residents, and interviews with decision-maker, we identified key variables that define food access in rural areas in Jordan, mapped access to food services according to the identified variable. and assessed food access in relation to land use regulations. Our work investigated frameworks governing the allocation of food service establishment locations, spatial requirements, integration into city masterplans, equitable distribution of food service types, and pertinent legislative frameworks.

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Contributing factors and indicators of climate resilient and healthy cities

Through a literature review, we summarize key contributing factors of healthy, climate resilient urban environments and how these have been measured. Our study adopts a holistic approach to explore how health and climate change co-benefits could be monitored and achieved in cities. We identify indicators that have been used to measure how policies and built environments support healthy, climate resilient cities. This provides valuable insights for planning, prioritization and monitoring of cities internationally.

Read More »