Cities@Heart

Project Led By:

UMC Utrecht (Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht)

Type of Project:

Horizon Europe (GA number: 101219389)

Launch Date:

2026

Completed or Ongoing:

Ongoing. Will run for 5 years after official start

Project Summary:

Cities@Heart is a five‑year European collaboration that aims to reduce cardiovascular disease and health inequalities through innovative, city‑based strategies. Working with seven municipalities across Europe, the project focuses on key CVD risk factors—obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes—and combines community engagement, digital technology, health economics and evidence‑based public health planning. Supported by WHO and major cardiovascular organisations, Cities@Heart will test and scale a multi‑sector, citizen‑centred approach that can be replicated in cities across Europe.

Audience:

•Policy makers in health & urban governance •Healthcare professionals and public health organisations •Municipal authorities and city planners •Citizens, especially those in underserved or high‑risk communities •NGOs, patient organisations and community partners •Technology developers and digital‑health stakeholders

Project Collaboration:

A 37‑partner European consortium, including:

Academic institutions (UMCU, Antwerp University, LSE, University of Birmingham, University of Edinburgh, etc.)
Municipalities: Izmir, Belfast, Łódź, Cork, Udine, Birmingham, Utrecht
International health authorities: WHO European Healthy Cities Network
Major NGOs: World Heart Federation, European Heart Network, EUPHA
Industry partners: Novartis, Huawei, Novo Nordisk, Menarini, Daiichi Sankyo
Technical partners: HL7 Europe, Wavy Assistant

Project Goals:

Reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in European cities
Address and minimise health inequalities through scalable, evidence‑based interventions.
Develop and test city‑level prevention, early detection, and disease‑management strategies targeting obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes.
Create a digital ecosystem to support European innovation in health technology and promote economic growth.
Integrate health economics and policy frameworks for sustainable urban health solutions.
Ensure long‑term scalability through multi‑sector, citizen‑engaged co‑creation models.

Benefits of the Project:

Improved cardiovascular outcomes for urban populations, especially underserved communities.
Strengthened local health systems through data‑driven and community‑centred approaches.
Urban‑level models that can be replicated across Europe.
Acceleration of European digital health innovation and economic opportunities.
Stronger integration between public health, city planning, hospitals, academia and industry.

Project Events/Research:

Derivation and implementation pilots across seven diverse cities addressing prevention, detection, management and citizen empowerment.
Co‑design workshops with communities, city administrations and health stakeholders.
Development of innovative digital tools, including data platforms and health‑tech prototypes.
Economic and health policy analyses to guide city‑level scaling.
Evaluation of multi‑sector methodologies and impact on inequalities.

Latest developments of the project:

The kick-off meeting took place in Basel in January 2026. Read more here: Birmingham steps into Europe-wide heart health mission – Distinctly Birmingham