Climate-Resilient and Healthy Cities

THIS PROJECT, INITIATED by Krystallia Kamvasinou, Giulio Verdini and Ripin Kalra and funded by a QHT award on ‘supporting learning and teaching, the student experience and social enterprise’, aimed to enhance students’ skills relating to climate, health and resilience in built environment projects. It capitalised on previous research on green space in London and the COVID-19 health emergency, and climate urbanism and resilience, to develop a suitable cross-disciplinary intensive training programme with contribution from Rachel Aldred (Transport), Nina Smyth (Psychology), Linda Percy (Biological Sciences), Corinna Dean (Architecture), and the support of research associate Sabina Cioboata.

During a semester-long period, University of Westminster students across PG and UG courses worked to translate scientific data, reports and technical facts around climate and health issues in the built environment, into accessible knowledge for the wider public. They simulated the formation of a multi-disciplinary practice, engaging with non-academic stakeholders and, at the end, organising an exhibition and community engagement workshop in Cody Dock, East London. In the final event, students explained their learning, presenting a set of posters and engaging with locals regarding the new demands of green spaces among people post-pandemic. During the exhibition the results of the climate urbanism studio of the BA Designing Cities (BADC) studio were also presented. Students involved: Abdallah El Hajj, Emanuele De Angelis, Mari Gvritshvili, Marie Kaune, Marwa Greiw, Reda Mahmood, Viven Rao Krishna Moorthi. Volunteer student from BADC: Mahdis Hosseini.