The Climate Question – Can we build better cities for mental health and the climate?

Available for over a year

Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities – and as our numbers swell, so will our cities, especially those around the Pacific Rim, where it’s predicted our largest megacities of 10 million plus will be situated. And herein lies an opportunity: 60% of the buildings needed for 2050 are not yet built.

Could we shape our cities into places that are good for the climate and also good for our mental health? Can we design buildings and infrastructure that make green decisions easier and also help us deal with stress or depression?

In a programme first broadcast in 2024, Jordan Dunbar hears about examples in the Netherlands and Egypt. Are there win-win options out there that can help the world deal with two of its biggest challenges?

Contributors:
Houssam Elokda -Urban Planner, with Happy Cities, Vancouver
Sally Nabil – BBC Arabic Egypt Correspondent, Cairo
Anna Holligan – BBC Correspondent, The Hague, Netherlands

Production Team: Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown
Sound Design: Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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