Bridging and cross-collaboration to facilitate co-design across the fields of urban design, urban planning, urban ecology and urban health: a scoping review

Source abstract

Implementation of urban health strategies and interventions requires strong collaboration of health researchers with built environment disciplines. This review examines the extent of cross-collaboration in urban health research and identifies tools that could enhance such efforts. A scoping review of scientific publications from 2000 to 2024 was conducted, focusing on papers that integrate urban health with urban planning, design and/or ecology. Key elements analysed included evidence of interdisciplinary bridging, co-author affiliations, and collaborative tools such as models, frameworks, indicator domains, guidelines and ontoterminology applications. Out of 171 eligible papers, 53% demonstrated cross-disciplinary author affiliations, though only 5% included authors from all four fields. Collaborative tools were prevalent, with 57% using models/frameworks, 14% generating indicator domains, 22% offering guidelines/recommendations and 29% creating ontoterminology applications. The review concludes that current collaboration levels are insufficient for effective engagement and actionable insights for planners and policy-makers. There is a need for more comprehensive tools and shared taxonomies to support cross-collaboration and reduce terminological variability, fostering a common language for urban health research.