University of Applied Sciences

Project Description

The primary target of the projected research on „Gesundheitsfolgenabschätzung in der Stadtentwicklung" (GFA_Stadt) ("Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in urban development"), is to develop a widespread, integrated and participating model for the Health Impact Assessment – HIA in German municipal areas. To support this in the practical field, the project use an online tool. HIA is a way to find out how measures that are taken in a different field of politics are compatible to the interdisciplinary subject health. Thereby should it possible in one way to increase the chance of social participation and a healthy and liveable life and in the other way reduce the social disparities. For this, it is necessary to change two different levels: In urban planning it is required to find strategies that integrate the different aspects of health more in the planning process. That means also strategies that make it possible for the health services to participate in this process and bring in their own view on urban development processes not only in the field of health.The "GFA_Stadt"-project should reduce the current barriers and integrate the HIA in an easy and preserving way in the local processes. This would be a social innovation. The connection of practical solutions (practice-friendly implementation of HIA in urban planning), different social methods (systematically integration of health questions in the local planning practice), optimizing processes and using efficient strategies (participating transformation of HIA) come together with new connected and structured decision making processes. In the two case studies (Hamburg, District Eimsbüttel Quarter Stellingen and Gera, District Lusan) this project will analyse the health pressures and focus the performance of the walkability.

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF - Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)
Project management: VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH
Duration: 10.2020 to 09.2023