Local policymakers, civil society, and researchers to explored new findings on the health benefits of two major environmental policies in Warsaw, sustainable mobility and the increase of green spaces, at a recent UBDPolicy project workshop in June.
Organised by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), participants discussed how to integrate this evidence on health benefits into current and future policies and communicate impactfully to the broader population. The exchange took place after a first workshop in 2024 had identified key scenarios and policies for urban environment and health.
Over the past years, Warsaw policymakers have invested significant efforts into sustainable mobility. In 2023, the Warsaw City Council adopted the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for an area covering over 3 million people. Measures include faster and better access to public transport as well as the strengthening of cycling. Initial UBDPolicy analysis shows that an increase in the use of public transport as well as walking and cycling would prevent up to 383 deaths annually and up to 1,057 new chronic disease cases.
The workshop discussions highlighted opportunities and challenges in bridging the gap between science and policy. The workshop marked an important step toward ensuring that research findings inform decision-making processes and contribute to healthier and more sustainable urban environments.
More findings from this workshop will be published in an upcoming policy brief and infographic later this year.
The UBDPolicy project, in which HEAL is a partner, aims to estimate the health and socio-economic costs and benefits of air quality, noise, lack of urban green spaces, heat and temperature, physical activity, and inequity for nearly 1,000 European cities in EU.
