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The covenant "Building a Healthy Neighborhood" has been signed.

The covenant "Building a Healthy Neighborhood" has been signed by a broad coalition of parties for the long-term monitoring of health and well-being in the Cartesius Utrecht area development.

  • 7/11/2023

A broad coalition of parties, including academia, businesses, and government, have joined forces to measure how area development can contribute to improved health. The Cartesius consortium, composed of area developers Ballast Nedam Development and MRP, along with the Municipality of Utrecht, NS Stations, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Housing Corporation Portaal, Achmea Real Estate, and CBRE Investment Management, have signed the "Building a Healthy Neighborhood Covenant." This covenant lays the foundation for collaboration to measure interventions in the built environment and innovations in healthcare aimed at positively influencing residents' health.

Stijgende zorgkosten dwingen tot verandering

To address the increasing healthcare costs, the significant pressure on healthcare systems, and the growing focus on preventive care, the "Building a Healthy Neighborhood Covenant" has been established. This covenant involves an integrated collaboration of knowledge partners to design a nationally applicable monitoring program aimed at investigating correlations between the design of the living environment, primary healthcare, and health. The goal is to understand which interventions in the physical and healthcare environment positively contribute to residents' health and well-being.

International First

Cartesius Utrecht will be the first area development where health will be measured in collaboration with science. This will be done through an integrated approach with knowledge partners, local government, businesses, and healthcare institutions, in coordination with the agenda of the HealthHUB Utrecht and the Data and Knowledge Hub for Healthy Urban Living. During the trade mission of the Economic Board Utrecht (EBU) in Copenhagen, the World Health Organization (WHO) pledged to include Cartesius Utrecht in the "Health in the Well-Being Economy" program as part of the "WHO Healthy Cities."

Measuring Interventions for Better Health in Area Development

Over the next 5 to 10 years, interventions will be implemented in the Cartesius Utrecht area development to measure the health and social well-being of residents. The effects of these interventions will be measured to determine which actions work best. The goal is to learn from these interventions, share acquired knowledge to make healthcare and design innovations more widely applicable, and establish targeted health interventions. The ambition of the parties involved is to scale up the monitoring program to more locations in the Netherlands.

Living longer, healthier, and happier lives in Utrecht, "The Heart of Health."

Utrecht serves as an international testing ground for living longer, healthier, and happier lives. Healthy urban development projects like Cartesius Utrecht actively contribute to Utrecht's international positioning as "The Heart of Health." Utrecht is the beating heart of the healthy society, with a mission to bring about sustainable, positive change as a region. The vision encompasses a world where people can lead better lives, with more satisfaction, in an environment that promotes their well-being. Cartesius Utrecht supports and positively contributes to this vision in word and deed, recently being renamed as a "Heart of Health" urban development.

Inspired by the Blue Zones science

Cartesius has been internationally pioneering since its introduction and is now taking another step forward with numerous research partners. The scientific theory of Blue Zones is being applied for the first time in an inner-city setting within Cartesius, with the eight pillars of the Cartesius concept driving the area's development. Blue Zones are regions in the world where people live longer, healthier, and happier lives. A significant aspect of the urban neighborhood is measuring interventions to contribute to a healthy living environment and ultimately to physical and mental health for humans and animals alike. This is done through the hardware and software: community, nature & biodiversity, movement, relaxation & purpose, sustainability, mobility, environment, and healthy nutrition. Cartesius is located next to Utrecht Zuilen station, with the monumental CAB serving as the focal point and heart of the neighborhood. Cartesius will feature approximately 3,000 residences ranging from social housing, mid-range rentals, and starter homes to large apartments and luxury townhouses. The public spaces and buildings are designed to make healthy living a natural choice.

Collaboration in practice

Partners will collaborate to conduct a baseline measurement in the short term, in consultation with the new residents of Cartesius. The baseline measurement will assess the current status of behavior, physical and social environment, and health, to monitor the effects of design interventions and healthcare innovations throughout the monitoring program. Additionally, the collaboration of the "Building a Healthy Neighborhood Covenant" will coordinate interventions and other societal initiatives related to the healthy living environment in Cartesius. Finally, a physical location will be set up to facilitate transdisciplinary work and data and knowledge sharing for the "living lab" in Cartesius. Here, (flexible) workspaces will be available for representatives from various institutions, ranging from professionals and researchers to students.

Learn more about Cartesius at: www.Cartesius-Utrecht.nl