The design of our cities influences the behaviour and lifestyle of the population and consequently determines our health. Urban planning also defines our exposure to environmental factors and influences other determinants of health such as access to work or education, sanitation, or protection from climate hazards. Therefore, health should be considered within urban and territorial planning.

The health in urban planning resource directory is an online repository of resources and tools to support the planning and designing of urban areas from a health perspective. It also provides concrete guidance on how to integrate health in urban planning regardless of the entry point of interest. Resources in the directory are regularly reviewed and updated, and are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

While the directory is mainly designed for practitioners from public health and urban planning, a range of users can benefit from applying its tools and resources. The directory is useful for city managers, health professionals, policy-makers, researchers and all those interested in the basis for our collective well-being. It serves as an online library of health-oriented urban planning resources that offer rigorous scientific evidence, up-to-date data and best-practice guidance to integrate health-specific considerations in urban planning.