The current research aims to methods from computer vision and artificial intelligence to identify the characteristics of the built environment that play a role in the incidence and prevalence of Non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the United Kingdom and Australia. The identification of common inter and intra-city level city . based on their urban design similarities and then allow investigation into whether predictors of NCD development can also be found in an individuals’ immediate environment and city landscapes.
The main objectives of the research are:

  1. Utilising new methods in computer vision and artificial intelligence to explore the relation between urban design and NCD in cities across the UK and Australia.
  2. Investigate how different urban designs within cities impact on health inequalities including NCD.
  3. Combine data from different sources to investigate the mechanisms by which the design of our cities leads to NCD prevalence.
  4. Learn lessons about how different ways of designing our cities prevent NCD and their known risk factors.
  5. To build a legacy of transdisciplinary research capacity in public health science, urban design and computer science, with clear pathways to impact.