Enabling cities to improve urban health and well-being through the analysis of climate action options co-benefiting with climate mitigation and climate adaptation

More and more cities are implementing climate mitigation and climate adaptation strategies, as global temperatures rise, and heat waves become more frequent and extreme. However, the focus is not always on improving urban health and well-being, but on decreasing overall air temperatures instead. Focusing climate actions on health effects instead, can help to prioritize measures, avoid conflicts in spatial needs, and maximize co-benefits in planning processes, allocated resources, and health effects. 

In CoSynHealth (Conflicts and Synergies between Carbon-neutral and Healthy City Scenarios, https://ms.hereon.de/cosyn/), we analyzed options for improving urban health and well-being using the case study of Hamburg, Germany. Over 1500 climate actions discussed by different stakeholder groups were compiled and systematically categorized based on the conceptual model for health-related urban well-being (UrbWellth). The dataset provides insight into the potential of i.e. changes in urban morphology, individual behavior, policy frameworks but also options for events and campaigns to improve urban health and well-being. From data collection, awareness raising, risk and vulnerability assessment, identification and evaluation of options, to implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the climate actions collected cover a wide range of steps toward healthier cities. As a special focus group, the dataset also includes climate actions suggested specifically for and by health care stakeholders on how to climate proof health care facilities and services. 

As a climate service tool, the published data set outlines the range of climate actions that are by now widely recognized and discussed in a city like Hamburg. In addition, it provides options for scenario development for urban climate and agent-based modelling towards carbon neutral and healthy cities and indicates potential conflicts and synergies between climate actions. It can support decision-making to improve the resilience of urban neighborhoods to heat stress.