HCD 2024 Opening remarks

Since last year, we’ve been delighted to also welcome Impact on Urban Health as our Community Impact Partner, a relationship that is rapidly evolving the congress to give communities a stronger voice. We hope for a bright future partnership.

This year we also welcome TRUUD as our knowledge partner. TRUUD, which stands for Tackling Root Causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development’ has curated its own dedicated sessions in stream 6 tomorrow.

We would also thank all our other event partners. Please take a look at their profiles in the programme and on the virtual event hub

New highlights for this year include:

1. HCD 2024 Awards Programme - designed to celebrate and recognise professional and research excellence in the design and planning of healthy and sustainable cities and communities around the world.

In addition to last year’s awards for Best Poster, Best Research Paper, Most Innovative Idea and Design Champion, this year we launched a formal judging programme for awards in Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods; Healthy City Planning and Design; Healthy Placemaking for Community Impact; Healthy Workplace; Healthy Transport & Mobility; Healthy Social Infrastructure and Design Research for Healthy Cities.

1. Two lunchtime workshops:
2. Today: The use of water elements and public art as a key tool to build happy and healthy places, sponsored by OASE
3. Tomorrow: Considerate Urbanism: new movement, mindset and method for more human-kind urban lived experiences and futures, sponsored by MEND

1. In collaboration with Cities & Health journal, a new special Healthy City Design Congress issue, recently launched featuring papers and reviews from last year’s 2023 event. Planning for this year’s special issue has already begun. Speak to Marcus Grant for more info.

1. Two tours from 6pm tonight, including:
2. Perspectives in urban lighting in a healthy and inclusive city following the Green Lanes Route, organised by Catalonia Lighting Cluster
3. A guided tour of Liverpool's very own vertical farm and healthy city research facility, organised by Farm Urban

I also want to acknowledge our:

• GOLD Design Leader and sponsor of the networking dinner tonight at the World Museum – the Considerate Constructors Scheme
• Silver Knowledge Leaders – Prior + Partners
• Bronze Innovation Leaders – HLM, Ryder Architecture, OASE, and Considerate Urbanism with MEND

A huge thanks to the local organising committee here in Liverpool + Liverpool City council

• Graeme Marshall

• Prof Rhiannon Corcoran

• Beatrice Fraenkel

• John Lewis

• Jim Chapman

• Paul Bell

A huge thanks as well to everyone at Liverpool City Council for their invaluable and energising support, particularly Prof Matt Ashton, Elspeth Anwar and Gavin Flatt in the public team, colleagues Nuala Gallagher, Sam Campbell in city development and planning, and Leader of the Council, Liam Robinson.