Healthy City Design 2026 returns to the Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester on 20–22 October 2026 under the theme “Breakdown or breakthrough?” The Congress will explore bold strategies that place health at the centre of urban transformation – bringing an interdisciplinary focus across research, investment, development, design, planning and public health.
Cities across the world are navigating a period of profound instability. Economic uncertainty, geopolitical turbulence, climate fragility, migration patterns, social divisions and health inequalities are converging to create a uniquely challenging urban agenda for city leaders, developers, planners and policymakers.
Faced with so many pressures that could fracture urbansystems, it would be easy to de-prioritise the role of health in making our cities greener, fairer and more inclusive. But that would be a mistake. Far from being a sideshow to
urban development, the healthy city is central to it.
A healthy society and healthy urban environments are not peripheral ambitions; they are foundational conditions for long-term prosperity. Cities that prioritise health create the platform for climate resilience, social cohesion, innovation and economic productivity.
Thriving urban environments attract talent, stimulate creativity, reduce public spending burdens, and enable inclusive growth. Without health, there can be no sustained competitiveness, no dynamic workforce, and no resilient
economy. The question facing city leaders, investors, planners, designers and policymakers is stark: will our cities drift towards fragmentation and decline – or will they achieve breakthrough transformation?
From healthy homes and neighbourhoods to sustainable infrastructure and green mobility, from community impact and social value to digital innovation and population health, this year’s programme will examine how integrated, cross-sector collaboration can deliver measurable improvements
in both human and planetary wellbeing.
[Tickets are costed. Book now. Early bird offer ends on 15.07.2026.]