Based at the University of Bristol, and with researchers across six different universities, TRUUD (Tackling the Root causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development) is a £10 million research project, looking at how urban places can be planned to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illness.

Dandara Living will be working with the intervention team based out of Stirling Management School to co-produce the ‘Changing Mindsets ’ intervention. The collaboration will bring together new research from the TRUUD project with Dandara Living’s experience and insights into the development and delivery of large-scale residential projects, with the aim of increasing the prioritisation of health and health inequalities by professionals working in urban development.

The intervention team is led by Dr Krista Bondy .

Commenting on the research programme Senior Development Manager Zoe Sharpe, who will be working with the intervention team said: “We are committed to creating sustainable developments so were delighted when TRUUD offered us the opportunity to be involved, and we look forward to collaborating with the team on what is a very exciting and important project.”

The collaboration builds on findings from 224 senior professionals working across the system of urban development, including industry. The data revealed that current thinking around urban development and how it is practiced is not well suited to respond to complex issues such as climate change and health crises. Few interviewees felt that they have sufficient power to be able to bring health and health equity more centrally into their own professional practice.