Currently, global health faces critical challenges, particularly in urban environments where over half of the global population resides. As urbanization intensifies, the pressures of climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss threaten both human health and nature. This paper introduces a novel concept of global urban health, grounded in socio-ecological theory, with an emphasis on sustainable physical activity and its potential for transformative health interventions.
Building on established frameworks such as Eco-Health, One Health, Planetary Health, and the Biodiversity-Climate-Health Nexus, this multi-dimensional perspective positions human agency as central to addressing urban health challenges. The concept situates individuals within their dynamic social and physical surroundings. Social surroundings encompass close relationships (e.g., family, peers) and broader communities (e.g., neighborhoods, organizations), while physical surroundings include the built environment, natural spaces, and local climate zones. These surroundings are further shaped by urban policies, which influence behaviors and opportunities for sustainable practices, including physical activity.
This integrated framework recognizes the critical role of sustainable physical activity in enhancing resilience to global health challenges. Urban green spaces, walking paths, and cycling infrastructure, for example, offer nature-based solutions that promote physical activity while simultaneously addressing environmental goals such as carbon reduction, biodiversity preservation, and climate adaptation. Human agency, with individual and collective actions, is identified as pivotal in transforming urban environments into healthier, more sustainable ecosystems.
The global urban health concept redefines urban settings as hubs for health innovation, integrating sustainable physical activity into broader strategies for ecological and public health. By leveraging nature-based solutions (e.g., green infrastructure) and emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence), interventions can be designed to promote physical activity in ways that benefit both human and ecological health. These approaches mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization and climate change while fostering sustainable behaviors and systemic resilience.