Resilient and Healthy Landscapes: Integrating Land Use and Regional Development to Tackle Health, Inequality, and Spatial Justice

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The IGU Commissions on Health and Environment (IGU-CHE), Land Use and Land Cover Change (IGU-LU/LCC) and Local and Regional Development (IGU-LRD), are organizing a two-day scientific event in Coimbra, Portugal, as part of the Geosaude - Health Geography Conference for Portuguese-speaking countries (18-20 of June, 2026), hosted by the University of Coimbra, Portugal.

It aims at share knowledge andexplores emerging perspectives to establish resilient and healthy landscape by reconfiguring land use planning and regional development strategies, thereby mitigating health disparities and ensuring equity across spaces in the face of global challenge.

The topics explore how territorial processes, land-use dynamics socio-spatial inequalities and environmental pressures intersect, to shape health outcomes across different regions.

They examine how land-use patterns, settlement systems, and regional planning frameworks can either intensify or alleviate vulnerabilities within specific landscapes. The concept of “Resilient and Healthy Landscapes” brings together environmental sustainability and spatial justice,across multiple geographic scales, aiming to redesign physical and human environments in ways that reduce existing inequalities and strengthen resilience.

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Therefore, we invite presentations focusing on:

1. Health Inequalities, Healthcare Access and Service Utilization;

2. Resilient Public Health Systems for Climate-Stressed and Rapidly Changing Landscapes;

3. Environmental and Social Vulnerabilities Shaping Healthy Landscapes and Population Health;

4. Land Use/Cover Change, Degradation and Biodiversity Loss in Shaping Landscape Resilience;

5. Multi-Scalar Land Use Dynamics for Sustainable and Protective Landscapes;

6. Land-Use Transitions and Vulnerable Territories under Climate Pressure;

7. Territorial Cohesion, Rural–Urban Interactions and Socio-Economic Disparities;

8. Cross-Border Cooperation and Integrated Regional Development Strategies for Resilient Landscapes;

9. Local Development Pathways for Strengthening Community Resilience ;

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PRELIMINARY PROGRAM:​