Urban Health in practices.

My doctoral research project addresses the topic of urban health, an issue at the intersection of the sociology of health and urban sociology. The research aims to explore the relationship between health, healthcare, and the urban environment, specifically focusing on urban public health. The association between health and the urban context has gained significant attention in recent years, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding health and social care interplay. From this perspective, territorial dynamics have assumed a central role, stressing the need for research examining the social dynamics which result from the relationship between health, community participation, and territorial contexts, with a particular emphasis on urban settings. This research aims to adopt a multi-actor perspective in addressing these dynamics.

In essence, the territories and the cities, when interpreted as social and political constructs rather than mere administrative entities, serve as arenas where a process of (re)territorializing public health and social-related initiatives takes place. This process involves several collective social actors, formal or not, which are not necessarily affiliated with the healthcare system. These actors may include neighborhood clinics, local health or urban authorities, public services, private organizations, health insurance providers, non-profit associations, self-organized civil society groups, and components of social movements. Based on these premises, the research aims to investigate the reasons behind the conflicts arising from the reterritorialization of public health measures, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. The study will explore how various social actors interact to create various forms of regulation and governance concerning urban health.