Healthy Cities—A Contradiction? How can people lead healthy lives in cities? How can cities be built and designed in ways that do not harm health, but perhaps even promote it? On November 6, 2024, the Union (of the Academies) its member science academies invite all interested parties to the 2024 Academy Day, “Living Healthily in Cities – Living in Healthy Cities,” at the Academy Building on Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt to explore and join the discussion. For the event, part of the Academy Building will be transformed into a park. Admission is free.

Christoph Markschies, President of Union (of the Academies) the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, will open the Academy Day at 12:15 p.m. together with State Secretary Henry Marx and emphasize: “City air makes people sick. That has to change! Our country not only boasts highly advanced medicine capable of providing lasting help to many people, but research into prevention and healthier living conditions has also been underway for some time, and the implementation of these findings is being discussed. The academies are dedicating this year’s Academy Day to this highly topical issue. Together, we are setting out on the path toward healthier cities where we can live healthier lives!”

Visitors to the Academy Day can look forward to a diverse program: Virologist Christian Drosten and other experts, for example, will explore how urban areas can protect themselves against waves of infection, while urban planner Regula Lüscher will examine the impact of urban planning on health. Psychiatrist Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg will discuss, among other topics, how the city affects mental health with writer Marion Poschmann, and medical ethicists, including Bettina Schöne-Seifert, will speak about current challenges facing the healthcare system.

The Academy’s Leibniz Hall, which has been transformed into a park, will become a “Market of the Sciences,” where Academy projects will present their research on cities and health. Topics will include medicine and magic in ancient Egypt, water supply in cities during the Old Kingdom, and South Indian temples. Health initiatives, research projects, and interdisciplinary working groups—covering topics such as sustainable construction and healthy nutrition—invite visitors to engage in conversation and discussion. In a Speaker’s Corner, short presentations will be held every half hour; among others, Horst Bredekamp will introduce Leibniz’s garden art, Annette Grüters-Kieslich will focus on European cities, and Peter Kühnen will present the “weight-loss injection.”

In addition, an audio tour invites visitors to explore the academy building while listening to sounds and voices related to health and the city—true to the motto: Stay active—mentally and physically!

The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities this year’s Academy Day. The event is sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation and takes place as part of Berlin Science Week.

Admission to all events on the Academy Day program is free.