“We Are What We Repeatedly Do … “
At Habitus, we keep excellent company. We work with people and organizations committed to supporting healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet.
Podcast: Why nature is so critical to our health & wellbeing
Tara Zupancic sits down with Landscape Ontario to discuss the many health benefits that green spaces and nature provide to human health and important considerations for green space planning. Tara also calls on urban foresters and horticulture professionals to view themselves as health workers. Listen here.
Working with the BC Centre for Disease Control to promote health equity: Report and Fact Sheet
Structural inequities keep some neighbourhoods “locked in a context of disadvantage”. Health equity means all people have a fair chance to reach their full health potential and are not disadvantaged by social, economic, and environmental conditions. Community design and the services and resources provided within them, directly influence people’s wellbeing. A commitment to health equity means planning...
Our work with Toronto Public Health and the David Suzuki Foundation leads to call for more green space by Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health
On September 22nd, Toronto’s Board of Health approved a report by the city’s Medical Officer of Health calling for an increase in urban green space to support the physical and mental wellbeing of local residents. The report prioritized green space investment in disadvantaged and historically under-serviced neighbourhoods in the city. Our work on: The Impact of Green Space...
Our work with the David Suzuki Foundation shows how urban green space cuts air pollution and cools cities
Download report
The Nature of our Cities: building health from the ground up
I was honoured to deliver a keynote at the European Forum on Urban Forests. More than 80 international delegates gathered for this week-long meeting, hosted in Europe’s Green Capital, Ljubljana, Slovenia, to discuss the future of urban forests, particularly in the face of climate change.
Events and talks
Podcast: Nature, Health and Equity: Exploring the links Public health scientist Tara Zupancic outlines the many health benefits green spaces and nature provide to human health. Tara also calls on urban foresters and horticulture professionals to view themselves as health workers. Listen here. Voices of Our Region: The Loud, The...
Green Divides In Cities Are Also Health Divides
Tackling health inequalities is a major global health priority, and ensuring equitable access to nature must be part of that strategy.
A road to health paved with green interventions
Our systematic examination of almost 15 years of peer reviewed evidence shows that urban green space can support healthier births, reduce morbidity, and decrease stress (see report: Green City: Why Nature Matters to Health – An Evidence Review ). But it’s community stories, like Tish Carnat’s, that reveal the heart hidden in the science.
Cooler, healthier, more equitable cities?
Unprecedented urban growth has intensified extreme heat and air pollution, and the health risks that go with them. Green spaces have a natural capacity to provide fresh air, reduce ground temperatures, cool urban air and provide relief from heat stress.
Bridging gaps in community connection
Extreme weather events and a growing aging population means we need strong community connections that bring us together when it’s needed the most