Video Presentations: Engineered for Health: Cities as Integral Components of Healthcare

Suzanne MacCormick
Global Healthcare Business Growth Director
Individuals, London

While 2020 has presented unparalleled challenges to the way we travel, work, socialize, and live, it has also drawn attention to the link between the built environment and health and well-being, acknowledging that conditions like poverty and environmental degradation are major social determinants of health. Meanwhile, populations are aging rapidly across the globe, with projections showing that, by 2040, 75 percent of the predicted growth will be people over 60, half of which are likely to be over 75. Health and social services are already overburdened, and urgently need new models of care that recognize communities themselves as powerful tools for improving health and wellbeing.

In addition to reflecting on powerful data, case studies are examined that show how communities can support preventative health through design, rather than simply relying on the healthcare system to provide treatment after people become sick. It will also consider the opportunities for cities to redress urban inequalities and ensure provision of good housing; improve access to nutritious food and better air and water quality; reduce cognitive overload from oppressive environments through better placemaking and intuitive wayfinding; and promote better mental and physical health through urban design, such as green spaces and places to exercise. Finally, it will demonstrate a new model of healthcare that promotes community wellness, recognizes that different acuities require different responses and ensures that hospital resources are kept for those who need it most.