Analyses reviewed by POLITICO\u2019s Living Cities showed that municipalities in Western Europe \u2014 especially in the U.K., Spain and Sweden \u2014 received significantly higher scores than comparable cities in Eastern European countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.<\/p>\n
Natalie Mueller, one of the study\u2019s authors and a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and Pompeu Fabra University, said access to public funds plays a major role in this divide. \u201cIf there are financial constraints in cities, investing in sustainable and health-promoting urban forms and infrastructures, and defining environmental policies may be probably less of a priority than tackling other more pressing social and economic issues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mueller also noted lingering cultural differences in environmental consciousness and the link between urban design and health. \u201cEastern European cities still have a strong car culture, where cars are still status symbols,\u201d she said, adding that in some areas, active mobility options like cycling are frowned upon. \u201cThey still strongly cater to car traffic with necessary infrastructure, which leads to poor environmental quality and worse health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By comparison, lower levels of air pollution, greater access to green spaces, and the reduced presence of urban heat islands enabled Europe\u2019s smaller cities, with 50,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, to earn the highest HUDI scores.<\/p>\n