The Foodscapes ToolKit is a tool that aims to assess the impact of the urban environment on the health of the population. It was applied for the first time in a pilot project at a neighborhood in Ajuda, whose objective was, according to the program’s statement, to gather an “information methodology that helps municipalities to bring a greater focus, in their communities, to the importance of eating environments, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles.
To obtain answers to the question as well as the eating habits of the inhabitants, the food options of each one, and the quality of public spaces in the parish of Ajuda, the citizen’s habits were studied and analyzed for a year. The reduced supply of healthier food options, the location of markets with the freshest food, time, food knowledge, and money – an issue aggravated by the current inflation – are some of the reasons why urban environments impact the health of their residents.
The Lisbon CCD stated that this analysis allowed “to generate a set of recommendations and initiatives that aim to create conditions more conducive to better health and greater physical and social well-being of the population, especially among those who have fewer opportunities to healthier choices.”
Established in 2014, Cities Changing Diabetes already includes more than 40 cities and 150 partner organizations. Lisbon joined the initiative in 2019, with several partners united in responding to the challenge of diabetes and obesity.
