Where we live shapes our health.
From the air we breathe, to the green spaces we enjoy and the opportunities we have to get active, our surroundings play a big part in how healthy we are.
At Bupa, we believe helping people live healthier lives means looking beyond healthcare. It also means helping create places that support better health in the first place.
That’s the idea behind Healthy Cities, our global programme which has been working with local partners and communities for more than a decade to help make cities healthier places to live.
Every city faces different challenges, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. From creating greener spaces to encouraging active lifestyles and tackling the effects of climate change, our projects are shaped by what local communities need most.
This World Cities Day (31 October), we’re sharing three stories from Manchester, Brisbane and Santiago that show what this looks like in action.
Manchester: Making it easier to get outdoors and be active
In Greater Manchester, Healthy Cities is helping people connect with nature, get moving and enjoy more time outdoors.
Through projects such as Cyan Lines, which connects the city’s green and blue spaces, City of Trees, which brings people together through tree planting and volunteering, and Beat the Street, which turns physical activity into a community-wide challenge, we’re helping to make healthy living part of everyday life.
At Newall Green Primary School, pupils also raised more than £1,000 and received a £10,000 Bupa Foundation Community Grant to create a new outdoor trim trail, giving children more opportunities to play, be active and spend time outdoors together.
Watch the Manchester story to see how local projects are helping communities get outdoors and get active.
Brisbane: Bringing nature back to communities
In Brisbane, we’re working with Brisbane Sustainability Agency to bring more nature into the city and help people connect with the environment around them.
The Biodiverse Brisbane Initiative is bringing communities together to restore urban habitats and create greener neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, the Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools Programme helps children learn about nature and develop healthy habits, and the Sustainable BNE Festival inspires people to make healthier, more sustainable choices.
Watch the Brisbane story to see how communities are working together to create greener, healthier places to live.
Santiago: Finding ways to beat the heat
In Santiago, rising temperatures are creating new challenges for people’s health. Healthy Cities is supporting research and local projects to better understand these risks and explore ways to tackle them.
A study with Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is looking at how extreme heat affects heath, while projects in Cerros de Renca and Maipú are exploring how more trees and greenery could help cool neighbourhoods.
Together, they’re showing how research and practical action can help communities respond to a changing climate.
Watch the Santiago story to discover how nature and research are helping communities tackle extreme heat.
Helping cities put health at the heart of decision-making
Alongside these local projects, we’re also looking at how health can play a bigger role in the way cities are designed and developed.
That’s why we’ve extended our partnership with the Norman Foster Foundation for another three years, building on our work together since 2022.
The next phase aims to support up to 30 cities, helping leaders use health and environmental data to explore how changes to their cities could improve people’s wellbeing.
That might mean creating more green spaces, making public areas cooler, designing safer, easier ways to walk and cycle. By understanding the potential health benefits of these changes, cities can make more informed decisions about where to invest.
Whether we’re supporting a new school playground, bringing nature back into neighbourhoods, or helping city leaders plan for the future, we want to make healthier living easier for more people around the world.
