Climate change, cities, communities and Equity in health

CliCCHE aimed to introduce into university education the concepts of urban health and equity, which are increasingly debated on a scientific level (and even more so because of the COVID-19 pandemic) but much less present in ordinary curricula regarding urban regeneration and planning. More specifically, it intended to fill the following gaps in current European High Education on urban planning and design: lack of integration and hybridization of urban planning, sustainability, health and social equity, and climate change in the classical pedagogical approaches; difficulty in concretely immersing students into the complexity of the urban narrative, enabling them to face the labour world. Universities need to train future experts who are able to plan interventions to limit climate change effects on health and equity in urban contexts, and to do so with the active involvement of public administrations, civil society and citizens. CliCCHE aimed at overcoming these gaps by promoting an innovative, fully-integrated trans-disciplinary educational methodology and unconventional tools to deal with the effects of climate change on urban health and equity in European cities, which can be used by both HEIs and public administrations.

CliCCHE was designed to develop and test innovative non-formal learning/teaching methodology and tools that aim to stimulate students’ motivation, enhance their engagement and amplify their contribution to generate a participative environment for the definition of health-oriented climate change adaptation strategies at the urban scale. The specific objectives were to: - enable students to evaluate climate change effects on urban health and equity and so to identify and design appropriate adaptation strategies; - increase the students' interest in the topic of urban regeneration through an innovative participatory process (urban simulation game); - innovate the teaching practice by applying a trans-disciplinary approach, and involving citizens through immersive virtual environments, simulation games and public art; - promote changes in the local authorities by providing knowledge and tools to help them develop health-oriented, climate-proof urban plans and projects; - raise citizens' awareness of climate change effects on health in urban contexts, and strengthen their role as co-designers of urban spaces.

- Execution of a preliminary study (R1), e.g. a collection of case studies on climate change impacts and human health and well-being in urban areas (research projects, previous studies, examples, publications, and the project partners’ past experiences), on recent experiences of using immersive environments (virtual mixed or augmented reality) and simulation games for educational purposes. The study resulted also in a publication in the peer-reviewed scientific journal “Building and Environment”, Volume 238, 15 June 2023, 110226, ISSN 0360-1323, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110226. - Preliminary design of a methodological framework (R2), based on the outcomes of R1 and discussed during a training course for teachers and researchers (C1) involving 2 teachers/researchers per partner organization and from different disciplines, for curriculum design (definition of objectives, students’ skills and competences, pedagogical approaches and suitable technologies identification, educational activities design) to innovate the educational programmes on urban regeneration in the European HEs by the integration of different disciplines. - Development of the trans-disciplinary methodological framework for curriculum design (R2) and of an educational toolkit for healthy urban planning and urban participation (R3). - Testing and further development of R2 and R3 during a series of 4 workshops with students at partner level, and finally during a Joint Intensive Course (C2) involving 20 students from all participating Universities. - Development of Guidelines on health practices oriented to climate change adaptation in urban planning (R4), aimed at scientifically evaluating the impacts of sound planning practices on human health and at providing support to public administrations on how to integrate health issues in urban planning and design. - Organization of 4 Multiplier Events at national level (by the 4 partner HEIs) to promote the project and disseminate its multi-faceted approach to climate and urban health issues. - Organization of a final conference/multiplier event in Palermo (IT), to disseminate project results.

The main concrete output of the project is the “package” (available on the project website) formed by: - the Research on mitigation and adaptation strategies of climate change effects on human health in urban areas (R1), a catalogue of research and experiences that address the issue of health and climate change in urban areas. - the Healthy urban planning Teaching Methodological Guidelines (R2), based on R1 and on the systematisation of each partner's knowledge, and consisting of methodological guidelines to support students in building urban design choices putting the health of citizens at the centre. - the Educational toolkits for healthy urban planning and urban participation (R3), aimed to transfer and apply the methodology (R2) and conceived as a collection of OERs to assist teachers and stakeholders with lessons, discussions, case studies. - the Guidelines/checklist to support higher education institutions and public administrations in better defining and evaluating urban policies (R4). Other relevant results regard: - 21 teachers/researchers who were involved in the development of a new didactic methodology (R2) and tools (R3) for the design of health-based and climate-proof urban regeneration initiatives, 15 of which tested them with students and local stakeholders (4 local workshops), using innovative participatory tools to foster shared and conscious choices. The success of the project initiatives made involved teachers/researchers committed to keep using and disseminating CLICCHE methodology. Project results are thus expected to foster innovation of university teaching practice in partner HEIs in the medium-long term. - 20 students in 4 HEIs who improved their knowledge on integrated urban planning by participating in the Intensive course (C2), and a wider number (90) who participated in the 4 local workshops, gaining experience in the field and soft skills that will be crucial for their future professional practice. - more than 40 stakeholders representatives (civil society, professionals, public administrations and urban managers) participating in the 4 local workshops, who increased their understanding of the complexity of urban environments, and of the links between urban planning and design, health issues and climate change effects. A wider number (more than 400) attended the multiplier events and thus increased their awareness on project topics. Moreover, participation in local workshops encouraged the local authorities involved (San Benedetto del Tronto in Italy, Lisbon in Portuga, Strovolos in Cyprus, and Valjevo in Serbia) to open a dialogue with universities, citizens and professionals, combining scientific knowledge with the experience of citizens and professionals involved in urban transformation. This will be useful to promote truly shared public policies and interventions for urban regeneration, as a consolidated outcome of R3 and R4.