Urban Health

The majority of the world’s population lives in cities, and this proportion continues to grow. In an era of urbanization, making sure that cities live up to their full potential is an urgent need—not only to power economic development and stimulate cultural expression, but also to sustain conditions for healthy lives. Effective cities create healthy opportunities for both the young and the old, ensure access to the services and benefits of urban life, promote equity, and achieve environmental sustainability. And the Mailman School plays a key role in generating new knowledge, marshaling science to stimulate and support policy change, training emerging scholars, and creating innovative solutions to these problems.

From New York, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro to Beijing, Mumbai, and Dhaka, the School's new Urban and Health Initiative will leverage its existing wealth of research skills and informed perspective to develop flagship programs that will help build healthy cities by:

  • Developing a new university-wide curriculum and program on cities of the future
  • Creating a social innovation lab to generate ideas and structures for addressing urban challenges
  • Establishing a research network across cities to identify and share best practices
  • Bringing together urban thinkers, activists, and policymakers to chart new solutions
  • Convening urban thinkers across Columbia University’s Global Centers to define new challenges and solutions
  • Developing novel, dynamic urban health maps that show the health of cities, the drivers of that health, and the change over time that will become the standard reference point for cities seeking to invest in health

Learn More

For more information about supporting the School’s work in Urban Health—including naming opportunities to endow the initiative and its associated professorships, fellowships, and scholarships—please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at  msphgive@cumc.columbia.edu