College of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of education and learning during crises. Access to knowledge and information became key to protecting populations against disease and controlling the spread of the virus. Cities play an important role in promoting learning for health. They have been the epicentres of the pandemic. At the same time urban populations are often marked by unequal access to health and education. Climate change is likely to exacerbate these inequalities. Cities must therefore adopt a health learning pathway that prioritises inclusion and equity and addresses key sources of vulnerability. This paper explores the concept of learning for health and resilient cities and provides recommendations for policy development.

The background paper was presented at the 5th International Conference on Learning Cities which took place in Yeonsu, Republic of Korea from the 27^th to 30^th of October 2021.