Urban planning for resilience and health: key messages

This is the summary report on protecting environments and health by building urban resilience. The Protecting environmental and health by building urban resilience project aims to support local authorities and decision-makers to reflect on the environment and health dimensions of local preparedness and resilience, and to promote the application of urban planning approaches to establish safe, health and sustainable cities. This report summarizes the three project reports and presents key messages on how to build forward better and apply environmental and infrastructural planning as an important pathway towards building urban resilience.

Urban planning, risk governance and resilience have become increastingly important pathways to promote and protect publich heatlh at the local level. Climate change, inadequately planned urbanization and environmental degradation have left many cities vulnerable to disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the links between health and urban environments, and the relevance of sustainable and resilient planning. Various global frameworks have been established to address sustainable development, urban environments and resilience, and awareness of the local benefits associated with implementation of these global agendas is increasing.