Lessons from Hippocrates for contemporary urban health challenges

Lawrence, Roderick J.; Capon, Anthony; Siri, José G.

doi:10.1080/23748834.2017.1372967

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The article explains that both incremental and radical transitions and transformations are indispensable in order to implement the goals and targets of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our research endorses the proposition by Lawrence, Capron, and Siri [21] that urban planning and the construction sector provide a range of settings for effective responses to many contemporary challenges including growing cases of inadequate affordable housing and persistent homelessness, lack of access to primary health care and growing incidences of chronic diseases, and increasing socio-economic inequalities as well as social exclusion.…”

Section: The Complex Nature Of Persistent Public Health Problemssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Collectively, these partnerships collect and analyze empirical research and conduct field studies prior to the definition of policies and programs that promote health in cities. The long-term goal of the WHO Healthy Cities project is to integrate health in the agenda of policy decision-makers in cities, to create a strong partnership for health promotion between groups in the public and private sectors, and to apply community-based participatory approaches when implementing projects [21].…”

Section: Implementing Transdisciplinary Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Transdisciplinary Responses to Children’s Health Challenges in the Context of Rapid Urbanization

Lawrence

2019

Sustainability

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Urban transformations are complex, dynamic, and systemic societal phenomena that have many positive and negative consequences, including irreversible changes to land-use and loss of soil permeability, deforestation and accelerating losses of biodiversity, energy consumption and increasing volumes of green-house gas emissions, demographics and greater socio-economic inequalities, and accelerating incidences of non-communicable diseases. These omnipresent diseases (e.g., asthma, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes) have no cultural, geographical, or socio-economic boundaries and they impact all age groups including children and young adults. Local and national authorities North and South of the Equator, and international organizations and networks, have rarely responded effectively to children's health challenges in the context of rapid urban development. The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate more effective approaches. It proposes new ideas, founded on collective thinking involving several disciplines and professions, and new working methods, founded on collaboration with community associations in civil society. Both promote shared understandings about the complex, dynamic, systemic, and emergent nature of urban health risks for children. The article explains why transdisciplinary contributions should be distinguished from multi-and inter-disciplinary contributions, and it presents examples of participatory action research in the WHO European region about children's health.

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Section: The Complex Nature Of Persistent Public Health Problemssupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Implementing Transdisciplinary Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transdisciplinary Responses to Children’s Health Challenges in the Context of Rapid Urbanization

Lawrence

2019

Sustainability

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“…ancient scientists and philosophers such as Hippocrates (who wrote the book «On airs, waters and places») have already intuitively dealt with the complex web of interconnections that influence human health and well-being (Lawrence et al 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

New trends in urban environmental health research: from geography of diseases to therapeutic landscapes and healing gardens

Dushkova

Ignatieva

2020

GES

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Urban living style is associated with various negative impacts on human health, e.g. connected with the environmental problems. Thus, promoting health of urban population is nowadays one of the most challenging issues of the 21st century together with the growing needs for sustainable development and establishment of the biophilic or livable cities. It is increasing awareness among researchers and health practitioners of the potential benefits to the health from activities in natural settings and especially from regular contact with nature, which can be perceived as a preventive medical tool. This paper discusses the close relationship between the concepts of health-supporting landscapes and sustainability in modern cities based on literature review and case studies from EU, Russian and Australian projects. We first review the historical and modern paradigms (of the various disciplines) which determine the discourse in nature – human health and well-being research. This includes examination of Hippocrates «naturalistic history», Humboldt’s concept of natural garden design; Oertel ‘s ‘Terrain Kur’; «salutogenic approach» of Antonovsky; McHarg’s Design with Nature; Ecopolis programme, Wilson’s biophilia and some other approaches. Then there is a comparative analysis of structural similarities and differences in the past and current scientific schools devoted to understanding human – landscape interaction. One of the principal arguments is that nature also has another value for health, regardless of natural remedies. It includes, for example, the healing of space, outdoor training trails in parks, everyday use of urban green spaces and peri-urban recreation areas for sport and exercises. We provide an analysis of some examples based on the modern concepts of biophilic cities, therapeutic landscapes, healing gardens, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. This article also discusses the main types of healing gardens and therapeutic landscapes and suggests the framework of design principles of healing and therapeutic landscapes. The analysis proved that healing gardens and therapeutic landscapes provide multiple benefits and can be regarded as nature-based solutions. These essential aspects of multifunctionality, multiculturality and social inclusion are well intertwined with the approach of biophilia.

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“…Auchincloss et al [99] briefly propose an introduction to agent-based modelling to approach urban health. Lawrence et al [100] called for some sort of collaborative systems thinking to address contemporary urban health challenges across conventional disciplines, including human ecology. Kim et al [101] use causal loops to explore urban walking and health promotion in Seoul, South Korea; the same approach is used by Tan et al [102] to evaluate urban health policy proposals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; by Siri and Tan [103] for a macroscopic approach to urban health and well-being in the Asia-Pacific region; and by Pineo et al [104], who developed loop diagrams from semistructured interviews with urban health indicator producers and users in San Francisco, California and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, for the improvement of local urban planning policies.…”

Section: Systems Thinking Urban Health and Healthy Citiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health

Cristiano

Zilio

2021

Sustainability

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An increasing interest has been present in scientific literature and policy making for the links between urban environments and health, as also learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration between urban planning and public health is therefore critical for enhancing the capabilities of a city to promote the well-being of its people. However, what leverage potential for urban health can be found in existing plans, policies, and strategies that address urban health? Starting from the relationship between urban systems and health issues, the purpose of this contribution is to broaden the systemic knowledge of urban systems and health so as to try to figure out the impact potential of local urban governance on public health. Considering the systemic nature of health issues, as defined by the World Health Organisation, this is done through a systems thinking epistemological approach. Urban health proposals are studied and assessed in four European cities (Copenhagen, London, Berlin, and Vienna). Current criticalities are found, starting from the guiding goal of such proposals, yet a systemic approach is suggested aimed at supporting and evaluating lasting and healthy urban planning and management strategies.

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Lessons from Hippocrates for contemporary urban health challenges

Cited by 7 publications

References 21 publications

Transdisciplinary Responses to Children’s Health Challenges in the Context of Rapid Urbanization

Transdisciplinary Responses to Children’s Health Challenges in the Context of Rapid Urbanization

New trends in urban environmental health research: from geography of diseases to therapeutic landscapes and healing gardens

Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health

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