In April 2024, Novo Nordisk, in partnership with C40, launched the Healthy Cities Challenge, to seek innovative projects to improve community health and climate resilience in inclusive communities. Now, winning projects in Buenos Aires, Nairobi and Rio de Janeiro, will receive 100,000 USD to begin implementation. 

The Healthy Cities Challenge called on non-profit organisations and academic institutions to share practical approaches to create healthier and more inclusive communities. Over 90 submissions from 33 countries were received and assessed on their multi-sector and participatory approaches, impact, and replicability. 

The three winning projects showcase how partnerships between local organisations and city governments can bring to life the innovative ideas we need to implement today to protect our tomorrow.  Over the next two years, winners in Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires will implement their projects, working closely with C40 to monitor progress and plan for the long-term sustainability and impact of their initiatives.

Transforming Dunga Road in Nairobi

The GoDown Arts Centre’s winning project seeks to reclaim car space to create inclusive public spaces and improve pedestrian safety on the busy Dunga Road in Nairobi’s industrial district.

The project will integrate pocket parks, wider walkways, cycle lanes, street furniture, and shaded areas to create an active, safe, and vibrant street. Street fairs, local artwork and cultural events will be organised to ensure the road becomes a central gathering point for the surrounding local communities.

Over the next year, the team will implement a tactical urbanism pilot along a 500-meter stretch of the road, focusing on road realignment with temporary barriers and bollards. Informed by community input, especially from women, this pilot will allow for testing and refinement of the street design before full implementation. The team has entered a formal agreement with Nairobi City County to showcase this project as a flagship pilot for the city and explore opportunities to scale further. 

Greening Oswaldo Cruz neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro

The Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is partnering with Rio’s Planning Department, to combat the lack of safe public spaces, poor pedestrian conditions and insufficient urban greenery in the Oswaldo Cruz neighbourhood. 

The project will build on a pilot delivered in July 2024 as part of the city’s Sustainability Corridor pilot project, to develop high-quality walking and cycling routes in three new intervention areas.* The project will improve active mobility with shared streets, bike lanes, and low-speed zones.  Additionally, rain gardens, community gardens, and urban afforestation will help mitigate heat and flooding.

The team will now begin workshops to consult stakeholders, including the community and municipality, to define the interventions. Then, hands-on implementation will begin, with community members participating in tactical urbanism actions. 

By focusing on the Oswaldo Cruz neighbourhood, the project will showcase how sustainable urban development principles can be translated into tangible, community-focused interventions that improve quality of life and serve as a model for other areas in Rio de Janeiro.

*The initial pilot project was implemented thanks to the coordination of various municipal agencies (EPL, CetRio, Comlurb, FPJ, Rio Luz, SECONSERVA, SMAC, SME, SMFP), IDB Cities Lab and C40 financial and technical support, and Superwien services in collaboration with LabIT-PROURB from UFRJ. 

Expanding Sabe La Tierra’s food market in Buenos Aires

Asociacion Sustentar NGO has partnered with the Municipality of Vicente López, Sabe la Tierra, to enhance the impact of a weekly market that directly connects local producers with consumers, ensuring access to sustainable, healthy food. 

Over the project’s duration, The project will establish a network of 30 businesses, including local grocery stores and restaurants, committed to selling the market’s local produce. As a result, residents will have increased access to healthy, affordable food, whilst boosting the local economy and shifting neighbourhood consumption patterns.  In addition, permanent community gardens and compost systems at two schools will be introduced, as well as workshops on urban farming and preparing plant-based meals.

Beyond this pilot phase, the team aims to replicate the partnership model in the 16 additional food markets operated by Sabe La Tierra.

Learn more about C40’s Green & Thriving Neighbourhoods programme and Novo Nordisk’s Cities for Better Health network.

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