Working with local government to support creation of healthier urban environments for population health and wellbeing: a case study of embedded research in Bristol, UK

Many features of the built environment can influence physical and mental health. Better housing, greater access to social infrastructure, more and higher quality greenspaces, less air and noise pollution, more active travel infrastructure, safer streets, healthier food environments and better access to work and training are all associated with health and wellbeing. Many stakeholders are involved in the complex system of decision-making regarding how our towns and cities are designed and built, which impacts on these wider determinants of health. It is important to understand the challenges and opportunities of intervening to support creation of healthier places for better population health.

Since October 2020 a researcher has been embedded part time in local government in Bristol, a city of almost 500,000 people in the South-West of England. This is as part of the TRUUD (‘Tackling Root causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development’) project, a multi-disciplinary research project seeking to support healthier urban development.

Working with regeneration, planning policy and public health teams the embedded researcher has identified points in the complex system of urban development decision-making where intervention would be feasible and valuable. She has supported the co-creation of three interventions with researchers and practitioners: 1 – A review of local planning policies and how they could be improved for healthier outcomes; 2 – Use of health evidence to inform a regeneration approach in a deprived area of the city where over a thousand new homes will be built; 3 – Exploration of how to improve public involvement in urban development projects so that local needs are recognised.

This case study shows how to work with non-health, urban development teams to co-produce interventions for healthier environments, using a Researcher-in-Residence model. The role includes collecting and analysing primary data, acting as a knowledge broker, networking and facilitating co-creation of projects and ensuring research is timely, relevant and impactful. This model of a Researcher-in-Residence can create a bridge between academia and practice. Wider application would help other types of prevention research that seek to tackle complex public health challenges.