Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Impact on Urban Health

@impurbanhealth.bsky.social

840 followers 460 following 470 posts

Helping cities & urban areas become healthier places for everyone. Tackling health inequalities w/ @gsttfoundation.bsky.social Get our newsletter 📨 http://bit.ly/IoUHnews Website: https://urbanhealth.org.uk/

bit.ly

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · Sep 11

📢Our Amplifying Voices strand partners with the communities who are most affected by air pollution to advocate for change.

♥️As part of that strand, we're proud to support the Ella Roberta Foundation's work to protect children from air pollution.

youtu.be/5xDn-UZQN-U

Amplifying Voices: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, The Ella Roberta Foundation

At Impact on Urban Health, we believe the people whose health is most affected by air pollution should be at the heart of the solutions to improve it. Our Amplifying Voices strand supports the…

youtu.be

1 3 4

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 15h

Last week, we hosted the first of its kind Impact on Urban Health Partner Day 🎉

Nearly 60 partners came together to connect with others working to make cities healthier.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us!

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 1d

If you’re at #HCDC2025, please do speak with a member of the @ImpUrbanHealth.bsky.social team about how we can work together to make cities healthier places for the future 💬

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 1d

Some of our partners joining us at #HCD2025 include Peckham Palms, Centric Labs & Latin Elephant.

We’ll also be joined by @medact.bsky.social, sharing insights from their participatory community research and the Nags Head Healthy Homes campaign 🏡

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 1d

As Community + Impact partner, we’re here to bridge practice and policy - helping bring voices with lived experience of health inequalities and community organisations into national conversations on urban health 🤝

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 1d

We’re at Healthy City Design 2025 this week - connecting with policymakers, academics and built environment professionals to make urban places healthier, fairer and more liveable 🌍

1 1 2

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 1d

There’s still time to register for this week’s parliamentary event with our partner the Centre for Responsible Credit about the health impacts of providing financial support within community health settings.

📆 Thursday 16 October
⏰ 2 - 3.30pm

Sign up here 👇

Financial Shield insights for neighbourhood health services

Chaired by Florence Eshalomi MP, we will discuss the Financial Shield project and its implications for future neighbourhood health provision

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 5d

We’re proud to support the Sustainable Urban Freight Association.

We believe their work to modernise freight will make our towns and cities safer and healthier places to live, work, and grow. https://zagdaily.com/trends/meet-sufa-the-freight-alliance-driving-the-uks-green-delivery-revolution/

Meet SUFA: The freight alliance driving the UK’s green delivery revolution

As cities battle diesel pollution and congestion, the Sustainable Urban Freight Association is uniting cargo bike operators with delivery giants to give green logistics a louder voice at the UK policy...

zagdaily.com

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 6d

We recently wrote for the British Safety Council about air pollution and workers' safety.
www.britsafe.org/safety-manag...

Construction, freight, and wood burning: how we can reduce air pollution at source | British Safety Council

While you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re breathing polluted air. That’s because in 40 cities across the UK, people are inhaling a dangerous cocktail of chemicals, levels of which are equal to,…

www.britsafe.org

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 6d

🔥🏗️"A new study has uncovered a striking link between air pollution and workplace safety, revealing that even moderate increases in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) can dramatically raise the risk of accidents on construction sites."
warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/econ...

Air pollution linked to sharp rise in construction site accidents

A new study has uncovered a striking link between air pollution and workplace safety, revealing that even moderate increases in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) can dramatically raise the risk of accidents on…

warwick.ac.uk

1 1 4

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 7d

🚛 Diesel van deliveries cost London over £2 billion every year in hidden health and environmental costs.

🔍 But how much do LGVs and HGVs contribute to air pollution in your borough?

Check out our data visualisation to find out 👇

Freight and air pollution. What's the problem?

Freight is the backbone of the economy. But an outdated system is congesting cities and harming people's health in urban areas.

urbanhealth.org.uk

4 4

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 8d

Learn more about the UK’s first solar-powered, outdoor air quality display unit.

Co-designed with communities in Lambeth and Southwark, it makes valuable information accessible to people whose health is most affected by air pollution. urbanhealth.org.uk/partnerships...

Air quality updates in community spaces

With Imperial College London, The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP), and Kasia Molga

urbanhealth.org.uk

1 2

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 8d

With our Amplifying Voices strand, we support community-led work that brings...

✅lived experience,

✅local expertise,

✅cultural knowledge,

✅and grassroots leadership into air quality policy, research, and campaigning. urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

Amplifying voices for clean air

Our Amplifying Voices strand supports the communities who are most affected by air pollution to advocate for change.

urbanhealth.org.uk

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 8d

We believe it's vital that the people most affected by toxic air pollution are consulted when designing solutions.

As part of our work to amplify voices, we're proud to partner with The Social Innovation Partnership. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbt_...

Amplifying Voices: The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP)

We partnered with Imperial College London and social enterprise TSIP to work with residents in Lambeth and Southwark to create the UK’s first co-designed, solar-powered, outdoor air quality display…

www.youtube.com

1 1

Reposted by Impact on Urban Health

peterbabudu.bsky.social @peterbabudu.bsky.social · 12d

❤️‍🩹 This week, I spoke on a panel with @ippr.org at the Labour Party Conference, asking 'Can the government deliver its long-term health mission?'. #Lab25 🧵

1 2 1

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 11d

And more about our work with ‌the Ella Roberta Foundation:

"Parents and children have little control over how much air pollution they are exposed to. We think this is unfair and needs to change."

urbanhealth.org.uk/partnerships...

Campaigning to protect children from air pollution

with the Ella Roberta Family Foundation

urbanhealth.org.uk

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 11d

Learn more about our work to amplify the voices of communities most affected by poor air quality: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

Amplifying voices for clean air

Our Amplifying Voices strand supports the communities who are most affected by air pollution to advocate for change.

urbanhealth.org.uk

1 1 1

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 11d

We're proud to work in partnership with the communities that are most affected by air pollution.

That includes the Ella Roberta Foundation, who campaign tirelessly to protect children from air pollution.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xDn...

Amplifying Voices: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Ella Roberta Foundation

YouTube video by Impact on Urban Health

www.youtube.com

1 1

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 12d

Learn more about the health effects of burning wood:
urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/rep...

Wood burning is more expensive than central heating

There’s a perception that burning wood is a cheaper way to heat a home. New research we’ve supported by Global Action Plan shows not only is that not true, but there are significant hidden costs to…

urbanhealth.org.uk

2 2

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 12d

💀“Our study suggests that high levels of particulate matter from stoves damage respiratory tissues, causing inflammation in a similar way to cigarette smoke.” www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/se...

Indoor wood burners linked to a decline in lung function

Using a wood or coal burning stove or open fire at home may lead to a decline in lung function, suggests a new analysis from UCL researchers.

www.ucl.ac.uk

2 3 4

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 13d

👏Great to see the positive impact of junk food restrictions - our partner @sustainweb.org's great piece outlines the need for:

📝Clearer guidance

💪Stronger enforcement

🍉More visibility of healthier products

Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming @sustainweb.org · Aug 28

New research shows supermarket junk food restrictions have a positive impact, but they could go much further.

▶️ England’s supermarket restrictions on the locations of high fat, sugar and salt foods have cut sales by two million items a day.
www.sustainweb.org/news/aug25-j...

Supermarket junk food restrictions have positive impact, but could go much further | Sustain

England’s supermarket restrictions on the locations of high fat, sugar and salt foods have cut sales by two million items a day, University of Leeds research shows, as shoppers back the move but…

www.sustainweb.org

3 2

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 13d

Since legal limits for NO2 were set, guidelines for air pollution have changed.

People in London are still breathing levels of air pollution which surpasses @who.int guidelines. The Mayor must be emboldened to go further to improve air quality.
urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/opi...

Improving air quality must be central to Labour’s health mission

Action would help to save money and reduce social inequalities. Matt Towner writes for New Statesman.

urbanhealth.org.uk

4 7

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 13d

⛔️It's important to remember that while this is great news for London, other urban areas are still breaching legal limits.

The Govt must support local authorities to protect people from air pollution across the country.
urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/opi...

Improving air quality must be central to Labour’s health mission

Action would help to save money and reduce social inequalities. Matt Towner writes for New Statesman.

urbanhealth.org.uk

1 1 4

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 13d

🚨Breaking news: London now meets legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

❤️🩹This is a major milestone which will improve health across the city. And congratulations to the Mayor @london.gov.uk, whose leadership has been crucial for improving air quality. 🧵👇
www.london.gov.uk/london-meets...

London meets legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s world leading air pollution policies

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today hailed the success of his bold air quality policies which have led to the capital’s air pollution levels falling to within the legal limit for the first time.

www.london.gov.uk

1 2 6

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 14d

🔥Burning wood is a major source of PM2.5

🫁It devastates health of burners and their neighbours

⚖️In urban areas, it's mostly wealthier people who burn wood as a luxury

🫰Wood burning is almost always the most expensive way to heat a home.
urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/rep...

Wood burning is more expensive than central heating

urbanhealth.org.uk

3 3

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 14d

"They found that wood burning appliances are more likely to be used among white people in affluent neighbourhoods in cities."

This is health inequality in action. An avoidable source of devastating air pollution.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09...

Wood burners are bad for you. Here’s why you didn’t notice

Being wealthy and healthy can mask the detrimental impact of exposure to domestic fires, survey suggests

www.telegraph.co.uk

1 2 4