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Environments, human health and wellbeing

Understanding how environmental quality of the built environment, including the physical, biological, social, cultural and economic conditions, interacts to influence populations health and wellbeing.

The environments we inhabit have both direct and indirect impacts on our health and wellbeing with damaging environmental conditions disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable.

Environments, human health and wellbeing explores the role of human-made or managed environments in influencing the physical and mental health of residents. This connects with multiple Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including good health and wellbeing (SDG3), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11) and reducing inequalities (SDG10).

A woman walks by a painted wall in Lamu town, Lamu island, Kenya – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo: Tuul & Bruno Morandi / Getty Images

The work focuses upon better understanding the impacts of blue (water), green (semi-natural) and grey (built) infrastructure qualities upon health and wellbeing. The team have a particular interest in urban environments including revealing inequalities and the effects of demographic transitions (ageing societies and rural-urban migration).

It investigates the use of novel monitoring technologies (big data, personal environmental sensors and physiological measurements) to better understand the impacts of environmental conditions.

The team develop and evaluate participatory (participatory mapping, citizen science) and creative (art and design) engagement approaches to understand lived experiences and aim to include typically marginalised groups in decision making discussions.

Commentary

Publications

Events

Projects and tools

Research coordinator

Rachel Pateman

Researcher

SEI York

People

Steve Cinderby

Senior Research Fellow

SEI York

Howard Cambridge

Research Support Group Manager

SEI York

Sarah West

Centre Director

SEI York

Alison Dyke

Research Fellow

SEI York

Sam Bland
Sam Bland

Software Developer

SEI York

Gary Haq

Senior Research Associate

SEI York

Jana Busch

Communications Specialist

Communications

SEI York

Design and development by Soapbox.