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.
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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!
Visit our journal to know about developing an original scholarship.
Let the world know about your City Know-how.
Featured posts
Discover the most recent articles.
Transforming the urban public realm to children’s play network in a tower neighbourhood in Toronto
Our findings revealed that despite the limited play destinations compared to the local child population, children’s outdoor play experiences are predominantly positive. This positive outlook is attributed to their sense of safety within familiar spaces and strong social ties with neighbours beyond their immediate families. Key contributing factors include the proximity of schools and play areas to residential locations, the strategic placement of playgrounds along home-to-school routes, and the hierarchical relationship among neighbourhood open spaces.
SOOPEN: A new tool to capture children´s group play behaviour in urban settings
The System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN) is a new systematic observation tool to assess children´s play behavior. SOOPEN uses a novel group dynamics approach. The tool has good reliability and is accompanied by a user-friendly protocol.
Enhancing children’s play in high-density urban environments: A systematic review of current insights
High-density urban environments significantly affect children’s play and well-being. This study provides current insights and explores potential solutions for enhancing play spaces in compact cities, aiming to promote a healthier and more sustainable urban future for children. Our goal was to synthesize current knowledge and provide guidance for improving play spaces in compact cities, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and liveable urban environments for children.
Engagement matters more than distance: Rethinking neighbourhood parks for active childhoods, Bhopal, India
Children’s physical activity and movement increases when they visit nearby parks often and stay longer. However, simply building more parks is not enough. We show how practical design, safety and inclusive programming can turn everyday parks into places where children want to play. Most importantly, measure success by visits and time spent, and not by counting parks and playgrounds!