News from Berlin

News from Berlin - According to the World Health Organization, for the first time in history more than 50% of the world's population lives in an urban area. The effects that this exponential increase in urbanization has on our lifestyle, social behavior and health is becoming alarming.

The socio-spatial segregation in Berlin and other big cities has risen in recent years. The poorest households are concentrated in traditionally marginalized districts, that too often miss the connection to the overall urban development. Even the unrestrained polarization of income levels, that contributes to segregation, did not stop at all. That is one of the reasons why social inequality and imbalances are linked to health problems: those who are poor run the risk of serious illness and even premature death.

Based on the conviction that these health inequalities are also due to political factors, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin will host a convention on May 26th about the important issue of what the ideal healthy community should be like. New socio-spatial approaches will be defined, based on health promotion and prevention. The event focuses on the challenges of urban development policy: the difficulties in making citizens responsible for adopting their own healthy lifestyles, and on the other hand the demand for greater control over society. For more information please visit: http://www.fes.de/aktuell/documents%202014/140526_Urbanitaet.pdf.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global