Operationalisation of the planetary health concept in urban areas – scoping review insights for practical applications

Source abstract

The planetary health concept systemically addresses the interconnectedness between human health and unsustainably exploited natural systems on which it depends. Cities are key leverage arenas for addressing planetary health. This scoping maps the existing evidence on how the planetary health concept may be operationalised and applied within urban contexts, synthesising the main themes, challenges, opportunities and principles, as well as operational tools. The review followed the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews’ guidelines: seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed publications using the keyword ‘planetary health’, yielding 2,965 unique records, of which 29 were included in the final synthesis. Individual‑oriented planetary health interventions connect knowledge and nature connectedness with well-being and engagement. To operationalise planetary health within urban research projects, several challenges relating to contexts, data and stakeholder processes must be navigated; operational principles include interdisciplinarity, co-production and reflexivity. A holistic, future‑oriented governance approach must be supported by increased cross-sectoral partnership and dialogue. Guiding tools and frameworks operationalise and measure identified planetary health principles, including individual-level factors, by supporting reflexive, equity‑oriented intervention design and evaluation linking human and environmental health parameters and aligning policy, research and practice for urban planetary health governance and planning.