Taking place in Groningen (The Netherlands), on 1 – 3 June 2016, the three-day conference ‘Building the Future of Health‘, of which AGE Platform Europe is an official partner, will explore the relationship between the built environment and our health, in particular how the design and quality of the built environment can help us stay healthy for longer. It offers a broad programme featuring all spatial dimensions: from our cities and neighbourhoods, to our landscapes, to the design of our homes and care facilities and, importantly, our hospitals.
Using the Healthy Ageing concept as a starting point, the conference presents inspiring examples and best practices from home and abroad. In addition, it establishes the latest developments in research, policy and specific projects in the field of health and the layout and design of our surroundings. Contributions include lectures, workshops and panel discussions, as well as project presentations, excursions, lectures accessible to a broad public of lay people, and various social events. Two sessions will be dedicated to age-friendly environments.
Key questions will take centre stage: Can the built environment help us stay healthy for longer? Can it inspire us to exercise more? How can we provide for clean water and air? What will our future hospitals look like? Does linking healthy lifestyle and good nutrition to well-designed cities offer a possible cure for Western diseases such as obesity and diabetes? And moreover: how can architects and urban planners play a vital role in solving these issues?
The event welcomes a range of internationally renowned speakers including Anne Sophie Parent (AGE Platform Europe), Roelof Joosten (CEO FrieslandCampina), Jeffrey Shumaker (Chief Urban Designer at the New York City Department of City Planning), and many more.
The initiative for this conference was taken by the Healthy Ageing Network Northern Netherlands (HANNN), the Thomassen à Thuessink Foundation | UMCG, TNO and the Thomassen à Theussink chair of Architecture, Urbanism and Health at the University of Groningen.
For tickets, programme and more information on the conference, please visit www.btfoh.eu
