In an era where urban populations continue to swell, understanding the intricate relationship between city design and public health is fundamental. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has emerged as a leading voice in this field with its “ISGlobal Ranking of Cities” and the innovative “Healthy Urban Design Index (HUDI).” This comprehensive tool sheds light on the health impacts of urban exposures like air pollution, noise pollution, and access to green spaces across nearly 1,000 European cities.

The ISGlobal Ranking of Cities is more than just a list; it’s a dynamic project aimed at quantifying the health burdens attributable to urban and transport planning. It evaluates various environmental exposures and their associated mortality, presenting cities from the highest to lowest mortality due to these factors. You can explore the tool directly on the ISGlobal Ranking of Cities website.

At the heart of this initiative is the Healthy Urban Design Index (HUDI). The HUDI is a composite score that meticulously assesses the extent to which the configuration of European cities supports the health and well-being of their inhabitants. It examines 13 key indicators across four domains: urban design, sustainable transport, environmental quality, and green space accessibility. These indicators include factors such as urban compactness, housing density, walking and cycling infrastructure, public transport availability, air pollution levels, capacity to mitigate heat, and accessibility of green spaces. Each city receives a score between 0 and 10 for each indicator, culminating in an overall HUDI score.