York City Environment Observatory ((YCEO)

Context

By 2050, 66% of the world’s population will live in cities, and it has long been recognised that the totality of this urban environment – made up of a complex combination of natural, built, cultural and social factors – has a powerful impact on the health and well-being of individual citizens as well as the economic prosperity of cities themselves.

Aims and Objectives

The York City Environment Observatory (YCEO) aims to establish York as an exemplar city for better understanding the links between the quality of the environment and the health and well-being of citizens and the economy of the city. Using this understanding, we aim to support evidence-based decision-making on how we design, manage, use and interact with our environment. The YCEO project is led by the University of York and City of York Council. It also involves a number of collaborating organisations and partners from a range of sectors including businesses, local government, national agencies and research institutes.