More and more people are moving to cities. With this global wave of urbanisation come many health challenges, including exposure to outdoor pollution, infectious diseases, violence and crime, stress, dietary changes, and sedentary lifestyles. The “urban poor”, including most residents of slums and informal settlements, face additional challenges such as inadequate housing, poor sanitation, water and food insecurity, indoor pollution, substance abuse, and lack of social support and health care.
Urban health and well-being are shaped by many factors, including formal and informal policies, budgetary and regulatory decisions, and negotiations over access to power and services. This project explores how local, national, regional, and global governance processes, institutions, and policies can work together to improve human health and well-being.
Focusing on developing countries where governance poses enormous challenges, this project addresses two key areas: