Commentary: A road map for future data-driven urban planning and environmental health research

Georgia M. Dyer, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Sasha Khomenko, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Deepti Adlakha, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 5, 2628 Delft, Netherlands.
Susan Anenberg, George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, 20052, New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, District of Colombia, United States.
Julianna Angelova, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd, Fort Myers, 33965 Florida, United States.
Martin Behnisch, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Weberpl 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany.
Geoff Boeing, University of Southern California, 90007 Los Angeles, United States.
Xuan Chen, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, Netherlands.
Marta Cirach, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Kees de Hoogh, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.
Ana V. Roux, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, 19104 Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith 2751, New South Wales, Australia.
Benjamin Flueckiger, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.
Antonio Gasparrini, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom.
Tamara Iungman, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Haneen Khreis, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge University, CB2 0AH Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Michelle C. Kondo, USDA-Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 100 North 20th Street, Ste 205, 19103 Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Pierre Masselot, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom.
Robert I. McDonald, The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, 22203 Virginia, United States.
Federica Montana, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Rich Mitchell, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow G20 0TY, United Kingdom.
Natalie Mueller, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
M Omar Nawaz, George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, 20052, New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, District of Colombia, United States.
Evelise Pereira, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Enrico Pisoni, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 2749 Ispra, Italy.
Rafael Prieto-Curiel, Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Josefstädter Straße 39, 1080 Vienna, Austria.
Nazanin Rezaei, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, 95064 California, United States.
Diego Rybski, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
José J. Ramasco, Instituto de Fisica Interdisciplinar and Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), 07122 Palma, Spain.
Rossano Schifanella, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 8, 10124, Italy.
Saif Shabou, World Resources Institute, 10 G Street, NE Suite 800, 20002 Washington, DC, United States.
Lambed Tatah, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge University, CB2 0AH Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-1-2024

Journal

Cities (London, England)

Volume

155

DOI

10.1016/j.cities.2024.105340

Keywords

GeoAI; Urban and transport planning; Urban data inventory; Urban environmental health research; Urban indicators; Urban policy

Abstract

Recent advances in data science and urban environmental health research utilise large-scale databases (100s-1000s of cities) to explore the complex interplay of urban characteristics such as city form and size, climate, mobility, exposure, and environmental health impacts. Cities are still hotspots of air pollution and noise, suffer urban heat island effects and lack of green space, which leads to disease and mortality burdens preventable with better knowledge. Better understanding through harmonising and analysing data in large numbers of cities is essential to identifying the most effective means of disease prevention and understanding context dependencies important for policy.

Department

Environmental and Occupational Health

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