OADD 2230 - Health & Planetary Boundaries: Addressing the Challenge in an Urban World

Earth temperature has risen by 0.08°C per decade since 1880 but the rate of warming since then is more than twice that (0.18°C) per decade. The disruption of Earth's natural systems - quality of soil, air, freshwater ecosystems - have led scientists to create a new term to characterize humanity’s impact on Earth’s biophysical conditions: the “Anthropocene”. This new geological era is threatening public health and development gains achieved over the last decade.

With biodiversity declining faster than at any time in human history, the deterioration of nature threatens our quality of life, our livelihoods, health and well-being. Climatic conditions affect human health and well-being: directly, with changes in exposure to weather extremes and increased production of certain air pollutants and aeroallergens ; indirectly, as climate change affects the transmission of many infectious diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an illustration of the dependency relationships between the deterioration of our natural environment, our health and livelihoods. It has reignited the need to address interlinked challenges such as climate change and health in an integrated manner, not through singular or linear approaches. At the same time, the world is becoming increasingly urban. 70% of the world population will be urban dwellers in 2050, and cities contribute to 70% of global carbon emissions, and there is a higher prevalence of diseases in densely populated areas. At the same time, city and urban planning offer a unique opportunity to address these planetary issues.

In this context, this course is looking at the drivers of negative health outcomes and the planetary crisis. The course will explore how the dynamics of linkages between health and climate change are impacted and defined by an increasingly urban world. In particular, health can be leveraged as a key argument to create more sustainable cities whilst cities can be designed and shaped to significantly reduce climate change. Throughout the course, we will reflect on how cities can advance the implementation of solutions to address the dual health and planetary crisis.

The first part of the course will focus on defining and approaching health and planetaries boundaries challenges in an urban world. The second part will explore specific topics, with opportunities for policy action, through common levers for advancing health and environmental goals. The third part will focus on the tools and solutions as policy-makers, with real-life examples, negotiation exercises and case studies.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the overlapping mechanisms and linkages between a healthy planet and healthy people
• Build an understanding on key policy levers to plan liveable cities
• Develop competences on tools and solutions, including on carbon footprinting methodology, negotiation and advocacy skills

Professional Skills:

• Working knowledge of design and planning principles for healthy urban environment
• Communication and presentation skills, including in the context of negotiation
• Ability to work in collaboration with new colleagues on a deliverable within a tight timeframe

Pedagogical and feedback format:

• Individual feedback to the group and classroom after each case study presentation
• Written and individual feedback on policy brief
• General feedback on common areas/strengths/ideas for improvement (at the end of Part I and Part II, and in concluding session)
• Debrief on the negotiation exercise

Assessment:

• policy brief 40%
• group presentation and hand-out 30%
• negotiation exercise 20%
• oral participation 10%

Course workload:

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities: 1.5 hour a week / 18 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 3 hour a week / 36 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work (Presentation+Hand-out): 2 hour a week / 24 hours a semester

There will be one case study to prepare as a group work, as well as an accompanying one pager to be handed out to the classroom. The estimated time required to prepare the case study is 18 hours per student.

• Preparation of the negotiation exercise: 1 hour a week / 12 hours a semester
• Preparation of the advocacy exercise: 1 hour a week / 12 hours a semester
• Policy Brief (2 pages): 2 hour a week / 24 hours a semester