Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health
Contemporary challenges linked to public health and climate change demand more effective decision-making and urban planning practices, in particular by taking greater account of evidence. In order to do this, trust-building relationships between scientists and urban practitioners through collaborati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Buildings & Cities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/110 |
| _version_ | 1797763491445080064 |
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| author | Clément Deloly Anne Roué-Le Gall Gemma Moore Lucy Bretelle Jame Milner Nahid Mohajeri David Osrin Giuseppe Salvia Phil Symonds Ioanna Tsoulou Nici Zimmermann Paul Wilkinson Michael Davies |
| author_facet | Clément Deloly Anne Roué-Le Gall Gemma Moore Lucy Bretelle Jame Milner Nahid Mohajeri David Osrin Giuseppe Salvia Phil Symonds Ioanna Tsoulou Nici Zimmermann Paul Wilkinson Michael Davies |
| author_sort | Clément Deloly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contemporary challenges linked to public health and climate change demand more effective decision-making and urban planning practices, in particular by taking greater account of evidence. In order to do this, trust-building relationships between scientists and urban practitioners through collaborative research programmes is required. Based on a policy-relevant research project, Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH), this project aims to support the transformation of cities to meet environmental imperatives and to improve health with a quantitative health impact assessment. A case study in Rennes, France, focuses on the role of a policy decision-support tool in the production and use of knowledge to support evidence-informed decision-making. Although the primary objective of informing decision-making through evidence-based science is not fulfilled, the use of a decision-making support tool can lay the foundations for relationship-building. It can serve as a support for boundary-spanning activities, which are recognised for their effectiveness in linking science to action. This case study illustrates that the path of knowledge transfer from science to policy can be challenging, and the usefulness of using models may not be where it was thought to have been. 'Practice relevance' The requirements for an effective policy-relevant research programme depend on the establishment of trust. An analysis of the evolution of relationships between cities’ practitioners and scientists shows the need to establish relationships between stakeholders involved in this kind of research. Even if it does not directly support the implementation of transformational policies for health and sustainability, the use of a decision-making support tool can become essential in building trust relationships and later have ripple effects to achieve its primary goals. Moreover, a dedicated team has a key role to facilitate the links between scientists and cities practitioners—to boundary span. Finally, this paper adds to a growing body of work reflecting upon the success of policy–research partnerships. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:42:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62b30cb0afbf4940b655590f51576084 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-6655 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:42:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings & Cities |
| spelling | doaj.art-62b30cb0afbf4940b655590f515760842023-08-02T03:44:33ZengUbiquity PressBuildings & Cities2632-66552021-08-012110.5334/bc.11086Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban healthClément Deloly0Anne Roué-Le Gall1Gemma Moore2Lucy Bretelle3Jame Milner4Nahid Mohajeri5David Osrin6Giuseppe Salvia7Phil Symonds8Ioanna Tsoulou9Nici Zimmermann10Paul Wilkinson11Michael Davies12Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health (EHESP), RennesDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health (EHESP), Rennes; UMR CNRS Arènes, Université de Rennes, RennesInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonBuro Happold, LondonCentre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources, University College London, LondonInstitute for Global Health, University College London, LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonCentre on Climate Change and Planetary Health & Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), LondonInstitute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, LondonContemporary challenges linked to public health and climate change demand more effective decision-making and urban planning practices, in particular by taking greater account of evidence. In order to do this, trust-building relationships between scientists and urban practitioners through collaborative research programmes is required. Based on a policy-relevant research project, Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH), this project aims to support the transformation of cities to meet environmental imperatives and to improve health with a quantitative health impact assessment. A case study in Rennes, France, focuses on the role of a policy decision-support tool in the production and use of knowledge to support evidence-informed decision-making. Although the primary objective of informing decision-making through evidence-based science is not fulfilled, the use of a decision-making support tool can lay the foundations for relationship-building. It can serve as a support for boundary-spanning activities, which are recognised for their effectiveness in linking science to action. This case study illustrates that the path of knowledge transfer from science to policy can be challenging, and the usefulness of using models may not be where it was thought to have been. 'Practice relevance' The requirements for an effective policy-relevant research programme depend on the establishment of trust. An analysis of the evolution of relationships between cities’ practitioners and scientists shows the need to establish relationships between stakeholders involved in this kind of research. Even if it does not directly support the implementation of transformational policies for health and sustainability, the use of a decision-making support tool can become essential in building trust relationships and later have ripple effects to achieve its primary goals. Moreover, a dedicated team has a key role to facilitate the links between scientists and cities practitioners—to boundary span. Finally, this paper adds to a growing body of work reflecting upon the success of policy–research partnerships.https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/110citiesevidence-based decisionsintegrated knowledge translationknowledge transferpublic healthpublic policyresearch–policy engagementscience–policy interfacetrust |
| spellingShingle | Clément Deloly Anne Roué-Le Gall Gemma Moore Lucy Bretelle Jame Milner Nahid Mohajeri David Osrin Giuseppe Salvia Phil Symonds Ioanna Tsoulou Nici Zimmermann Paul Wilkinson Michael Davies Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health Buildings & Cities cities evidence-based decisions integrated knowledge translation knowledge transfer public health public policy research–policy engagement science–policy interface trust |
| title | Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health |
| title_full | Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health |
| title_fullStr | Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health |
| title_short | Relationship-building around a policy decision-support tool for urban health |
| title_sort | relationship building around a policy decision support tool for urban health |
| topic | cities evidence-based decisions integrated knowledge translation knowledge transfer public health public policy research–policy engagement science–policy interface trust |
| url | https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/110 |
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