Bridging critical knowledge and action gaps in urban health: A call for transdisciplinary approaches in urban studies in the era of global population aging and climate change

Urbanization and population aging are two “mega-trends” posing significant challenges to global health, particularly under climate change. Despite extensive evidence on the links between the built environment and health, urban planning scholars and practitioners still miss valuable opportunities to contribute to public health and urban health equity—which often remain marginal or only implicit topics in urban planning discourses and practices. Against this background, we organized the transdisciplinary workshop “Global Health Challenges Related to Demographic & Climate Changes: Implications for Urban and Territorial Planning” (Basel, 2024), convening scholars and practitioners to co-develop a research agenda addressing knowledge-to-action gaps in urban health equity and climate resilience. Building on the workshop’s discussions, this commentary highlights current challenges in reconnecting urban planning and public health while presenting opportunities to bridge this gap. We argue for an “ultra-local” approach that acknowledges the chronic lack of granular data necessary to address spatial justice and urban health inequities, emphasizing the importance of evidence- and place-based planning. To illustrate this approach, we present two recent experiences: the BH-Viva project in Brazil, which assessed impact of slum-upgrading projects on urban health equity, and the Saint-Louis Master Plan in Senegal, a pioneering effort integrating climate resilience into urban policy and planning. Ultimately, we present what we identified as priority research paths in urban studies, having transdisciplinarity as a precondition for urban planners to effectively tackle pressing global health challenges.