The International Conference on Urban Health, co-hosted by the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), is being held at the Tākina Convention Centre from 17-21 November.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Weaving Climate Action, Equity and Wellbeing – From the Pacific to the World’, reflecting the urgent need to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems, climate resilience and health equity in urban development.

Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, from the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, says it is the first time the event has been held in Oceania.

“The conference offers an unparalleled opportunity for delegates to engage with the most pressing urban-health issues facing New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific islands, from climate change to sustainable transport to environmentally sustainable public and community housing developments.

“It gives us all the chance to learn from others and share successful initiatives to build sustainable cities.”

The conference has attracted participants from more than 35 countries, with visitors coming from as far afield as India, Uganda, Denmark, Saudi Arabia and China.

The programme features more than 100 sessions, with panel discussions on ‘nourishing landscapes’, which will feature Māori researchers and practitioners coming together to share Indigenous insights and solutions for restoring food systems, and on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) age-friendly strategy, which has been adopted by local councils in Aotearoa.

Keynote speakers at the conference include Skye Duncan, the Executive Director of the Global Designing Cities Initiative, who will discuss human-centred urban design; Professor James Ward (Pitjantjatjara, Narungga), the Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland; Professor Mike Davies from the Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering at University College London, who will discuss the provision of healthy and comfortable built environments in a changing climate; and Professor Deidre Brown, the Director of the Centre for Māori and Pacific Housing Research at the University of Auckland, who will share insights on the impacts of housing design on hauora Māori and Pacific peoples.

Researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, presenting at the conference include Professor Howden-Chapman, who will lead a panel of colleagues in a discussion about the findings from a five-year Endeavour Fund research programme on the value of public and community housing in Aotearoa New Zealand; Professor Nevil Pierse, who will share his findings about the outcomes of the Healthy Homes Initiative; Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard, who will discuss the impact of the WHO healthy housing framework; and Guy Penny (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa), who will talk about his work on the Papakāinga development at the Wainuiomata Marae.

This year, for the first time, the conference will include a government round table with national and local government leaders and their international counterparts discussing how urban policy and governance can drive health, equity, and climate resilience in our cities.

The session will be free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, 20 November from 3pm to 4.30pm at Tākina.

The conference opens on Monday, 17 November with a free one-day symposium, ‘Designing Cities for Every Age’, at the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, which will look at how cities can be better designed to support people at every stage of life. Please register for the symposium on the ICUH website (for catering purposes).