The joint project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 1.66 million euros, begins in February 2025 and will run for a period of three years. Researchers from the University of Bremen, Bochum University of Applied Sciences, and the Wuppertal Institute are working together on the project. The aim is to comprehensively evaluate integrated urban development concepts (ISEK). These concepts are designed to improve the situation in urban, socially, and economically disadvantaged areas.
ISEK are control and coordination instruments for urban development in a municipality. These include a variety of measures that improve the quality of residential buildings, mobility options, or public green and open spaces, as well as social and health care structures. The development of new ideas for the use of vacant shops or for improving the image of the district can also be among the measures. So far, mainly the processes for developing and implementing integrated urban development concepts have been evaluated, but not their effects on health, social justice, and ecological sustainability.
The Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen is receiving funding of around 900,000 euros, will coordinate the SalusTransform research network, and is responsible for the evaluation, particularly with regard to social inequalities in health and the living environment. “This innovative project promises new insights into the effectiveness of integrated urban development concepts as real-world interventions. With SalusTransform, we can further expand the research focus on health-promoting urban development and environmental justice at the University of Bremen,” emphasizes Professor Gabriele Bolte, head of the SalusTransform joint project and managing director of the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Integrated Urban Development Concepts for the First Time
The aim of SalusTransform is to comprehensively evaluate integrated urban development concepts in Germany for the first time. The aim is to clarify whether the concepts as a whole lead to an improvement in health, a reduction in social inequalities, and greater ecological sustainability. To this end, integrated urban development concepts in the cities of Bremen, Bochum, and Wuppertal were selected. Together with the stakeholders from the municipal administration and from the urban districts, the project team is analyzing how the concepts were designed and the individual measures implemented. The researchers are also investigating the extent to which integrated urban development concepts can contribute to establishing health-promoting and sustainable living conditions for everyone in the urban district. To do this, one district in each of the three cities with an integrated urban development concept will be compared with a district without such a concept. In Bremen, for example, the researchers are comparing the district of Blumenthal, for which such a concept was adopted in spring 2023, with the district of Kirchhuchting.
The evaluation includes municipal data on population structure, traffic volume, noise pollution, and the quality of green spaces, among other things. On the other hand, the researchers collect extensive data by surveying residents, conducting interviews with stakeholders involved in implementing the measures, and using participatory formats such as neighborhood walks and citizen science approaches to measure air pollution.
The methodology for evaluating integrated urban development concepts, which is being developed and tested within the framework of SalusTransform, should be able to be continued in the participating municipalities and transferred to others. This aims to support the consideration of health equity in municipalities.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Bolte
University of Bremen
Faculty of Human and Health Sciences
Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP)
Phone: +49 421 218-68820
Email: gabriele.bolteprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
