Translating evidence into action: UBDPolicy workshop in Brussels

City administrators, civil society, and researchers met to discuss new findings on the health benefits of policies that promote clean air and green spaces in Brussels at a recent UBDPolicy project workshop on 29 September.

City administrators, civil society, and researchers met to discuss new findings on the health benefits of policies that promote clean air and green spaces in Brussels at a recent UBDPolicy project workshop on 29 September.

Organised by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), participants discussed how to integrate this new evidence into current and future policies and communicate it impactfully to the broader population. The exchange took place after a first workshop in 2023 had identified key scenarios and policies on urban environment and health for researchers to consider.

Over the past years, Brussels policymakers invested significant efforts in environmental policies, in particular with the city’s Low Emission Zone (in place since 2018) and Plan Nature (2016-2020), the two policies the research focuses on. Initial UBDPolicy analysis shows that the increase in green spaces in Brussels avoided 134 deaths between 2021-2023.

The workshop discussions highlighted opportunities and challenges in bridging the gap between science and policy. It marked an important step toward ensuring that research findings inform decision-making processes and contribute to healthier and more sustainable urban environments.

More findings from this workshop will be published in an upcoming policy brief and infographic later this year.