The 1000 Cities Challenge aims to scale up the Global Observatory of Healthy and Sustainable Cities to include over 1000 cities from across the globe. The Global Observatory provides comparable and evidence-based data, scorecards, and reports on policy and spatial indicators related to health and sustainability in cities. This information helps to set evidence-based goals in urban design, planning, and policy within cities and to track progress towards these goals.

Here at University of Canberra, a small team within the Health Research Institute has completed the 1000 Cities Challenge for the city of Canberra, partnering with local advocacy organisation Greater Canberra.

This work and consultation forms part of an NHMRC IDEAS research project aimed at guiding neighbourhood planning decisions to promote health, reduce chronic disease and decrease health inequities between communities led by Professor Luis Salvador-Carulla.