Kick-start Monitoring Framework for Healthy Urban Development
The MEASUR project brings together public and private partners to create healthier cities by developing a monitoring framework that tracks how urban environments impact health. This approach is being tested in Cartesius, a new neighborhood in Utrecht designed with a focus on health and social diversity. Through this unique collaboration between governments, companies, researchers, and residents, real-world innovation and shared learning are shaping the future of healthy urban living.
An unhealthy living environment is a major contributor to disease and reduced well-being. In the Netherlands, it causes 4.5% of all health loss, while an unhealthy lifestyle—strongly influenced by our surroundings—adds another 14% (VTV 2024). This means nearly one in five health issues is related to where and how we live. To turn this around, we need smart ways to design, build, and evaluate healthier living environments. MEASUR responds to this urgent need and supports national goals set out in key policies like the Gezond en Actief Leven Akkoord (GALA), Integraal Zorgakkoord (IZA), and the National Health Policy. A healthier environment also benefits the economy: Dutch employers lose €13.3 billion every year due to sick leave. MEASUR helps reduce this loss and promotes a stronger, healthier society.
MEASUR tackles the challenge by developing a flexible and easy-to-use framework that allows neighborhoods to be monitored during and after construction. In Cartesius, residents, city planners, developers, and experts work closely to test and improve the tools, making sure they work in practice.
The final result will be a widely usable framework with four key parts: practical tools to measure health-related factors, methods to evaluate and integrate data into digital models, ways to involve stakeholders in decision-making, and a strong technical setup to support data use. These outcomes will help everyone—from professionals to residents—build and live in healthier cities.
