UrbanBetter Cityzens

Citizen science for healthier, climate-resilient urban spaces.

What if we could harness the power of youth, the vitality of physical activity and the potential of citizen science… to make the urban better?

UrbanBetter, an Africa-led global social enterprise, is a data-driven advocacy movement, urban health practice and learning platform with a mission to accelerate healthy sustainable development in urban(ising) settings worldwide.

Cityzens is UrbanBetter’s scalable data-driven advocacy solution with a mission to equip and connect a youth-led global movement of citizen scientists to increase the demand for healthy places and enhance youth participation in decisions that shape the future of cities.

The Cityzens initiative works to shift the landscape of power by building a youth-led locally-rooted and globally-connected movement using physical activity, technology and citizen science data to advocate for more climate-resilient, healthier urban public spaces everywhere.

The app helps Cityzens capture urban exposures that influence the air we breathe, the ways we move and the food we eat, as these exposures are relevant for both human health and climate/ planetary health action.

Use the Cityzens app in 2 ways:

On the Move: to document potential sources of hazardous or protective health/climate exposures in public space used for physical activity or encountered during physical activity

Extreme weather: to document the impact of extreme weather events on your environment, your physical activity and other activities that influence your health and wellbeing.

We encourage you to use these data to inform your advocacy and activism efforts. The data can also be used to anticipate needs and inform tailored public health messaging and climate adaptation to improve health outcomes and climate resilience.

This app is one component of our Cityzens digital infrastructure ensuring Cityzens are equipped to generate citizen science data and to use their data for precision advocacy.

Check out our Cityzens website and create a profile to access other resources in the Cityzens toolbox including:

- Self-paced training platform

- Visualization platform: visually integrating data from wearable sensors and the app

- Resources or effective organising of data-driven advocacy activations and campaigns for healthy sustainable places

- Information about existing Cityzens Hubs and how to enquire about setting up a Cityzens Hub in your city

We aspire to shape new norms for a healthy, sustainable urban future; conspire with and equip Cityzens to be effective change agents; and inspire action through data-driven advocacy and storytelling.

We invite you to aspire, inspire and conspire with us for healthier sustainable cities!