Welcome message from the Chair:

As urban populations continue to grow, ensuring that cities and public spaces are healthy, inclusive, and accessible has become one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Urban environments shape our daily behaviors, social interactions, access to resources, and overall well-being, yet rapid urbanization, fragmented planning, and persistent social and spatial inequalities continue to limit the potential of cities to support health for all. Addressing these challenges requires integrated, cross-sectoral approaches that recognize health as a central outcome of urban policy and planning.

Achieving healthier and more inclusive cities depends on understanding how multiple urban systems interact. Historic urban manufacturing territories, for example, remain deeply embedded in the spatial and social fabric of cities and present important opportunities for regeneration that can contribute to environmental quality, social cohesion, and public health. At the same time, the urban food environment has emerged as a key determinant of health, closely linked to land-use patterns, accessibility, and governance. These dimensions underscore the importance of a “Health in All Policies” approach, in which health considerations are embedded across urban planning, mobility, housing, environmental, and economic policies.

The webinar “Healthy and Inclusive Urban Public Spaces” aims to foster dialog and knowledge exchange around these issues, while promoting the Special Issue of the journal Land under the same title. This Special Issue brings together interdisciplinary research and case studies focused on accessibility, spatial equity, and well-being, contributing to the sustainable development of human environments.

The webinar features three complementary presentations. The first presentation, “Delivering Healthier Cities in the XXI Century,” will be delivered by Dr. Ester Higueras García, Full Professor and Director of the Department of Urban and Territorial Planning at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. A leading expert in bioclimatic urbanism and urban health, Dr. Higueras has nearly three decades of experience linking research and practice. As Principal Investigator of the ABIO research group, her work addresses key contemporary challenges such as urban heat resilience, healthy aging, and the integration of green and blue infrastructures into urban policy, emphasizing the urgent need to place health at the core of urban planning.

The second presentation, “Historic Urban Manufacturing Territories and Their Contribution to the Health of Cities”, will be given by Julio Salcedo-Fernandez, Director of the Urban Design Program and former Chair of The Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. With extensive academic and professional experience in both Europe and the United States, Prof. Salcedo brings a design-driven and institutional perspective to urban regeneration. His work explores how former manufacturing areas can be reimagined as healthy, productive, and inclusive urban environments, informed by his practice at Scalar Architecture and his background with internationally recognized firms.

The webinar will conclude with “Urban Food Environment as a Key Determinant for Urban Health”, presented by Dr. Ana Zazo Moratalla, Associate Professor of Urban and Territorial Planning at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Her research focuses on peri-urban agricultural systems, urban food governance, and innovative territorial models, with particular attention to local-scale planning and the Latin American context. Drawing on both academic research and professional practice, her contribution highlights the central role of food systems in promoting equity, resilience, and public health in urban areas.

Together, these presentations offer a multidisciplinary perspective on how urban planning, policy, and design can contribute to healthier and more inclusive cities, reinforcing the need for integrated approaches that place health and well-being at the heart of urban development.

Date: 25 February 2026 at 4:30 p.m. CET | 10:30 a.m. EST | 11:30 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 862 2864 1063

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Program:

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Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. María Teresa Baquero Larriva, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Juan de Herrera, Madrid, Spain;
• Dr. Ester Higueras-García, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Juan de Herrera, Madrid, Spain;
• Dr. Julio Salcedo-Fernandez, SSA Spitzer School of Architecture, The City College of New York, USA;
• Dr. Ana Zazo-Moratalla, Escuela de Ingeniería de Fuenlabrada, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.