OURI Labs

One month to go until the Planning Healthy Places Workforce Summer Forum! 🏙 🌿 We are proud to be supporting the workshop on 4th July, hosted by Michael Chang and the Health & Wellbeing in Planning Network. This workshop is a crucial initiative that brings together professionals from the built environment sector to discuss the importance of integrating health and wellbeing considerations into urban planning and how we can support the workforce in doing so. It is particularly fitting that this event coincides with General Election day, as it highlights how we must engage with policymakers to prioritise the health and wellbeing of citizens in their decision-making processes. At OURI Labs, we strongly believe that by working together and advocating for health-focused planning, we can build a better future for all. We encourage everyone to participate in the ongoing dialogue about creating healthier, more resilient places to live and work. Looking forward to the event. Follow our page for more insights in the lead up and after the event. #HealthyPlacesWorkforce #BuildingforHealthandWellbeing #GeneralElection #SummerForum #HealthandWellbeinginPlanning

Morning LinkedIn! I don't usually get on my soap box this early in the morning but wanted to highlight Clare Delmar's recent piece on 'Build for Health'. It couldn't be more timely or urgent. What would you say if I told you that back in December 2020, we lost a two-year-old, Awaab Ishak, due to 'extensive' mould exposure in his family's one-bedroom flat? And before that, in 2013, we also lost Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who was 9 at the time of her death, which was officially linked to air pollution near her home in Lewisham, just 30m from the South Circular ring road. The intersection of public health and the built environment demands not just our attention, but immediate action. The human cost of inadequate housing and poor urban planning is devastating and undeniable. These aren't isolated incidents – they represent systemic challenges. The NHS currently spends an estimated £1.4 billion annually treating patients admitted to hospitals due to inadequate housing. When considering all homes with significant Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards, this figure rises to an astounding £2 billion per year in England alone. The Chief Medical Officer's 2024 report, the Marmot Institute's "Building Health Equity" study, and the updated National Planning Policy Framework create a web of opportunity. The economic argument is clear – investing in healthy housing now saves billions in healthcare costs later. The moral argument is even clearer. As professionals and citizens, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to drive this change. Clare's call to Build for Health is an imperative. Let's make 2025 not just the year we talk about building for health, but the year we transform how we think about, plan, and deliver healthy environments for all. Please like this post if you agree and share Clare Delmar Build for Health article to support! #BuildForHealth #urbanplanning #publichealth #housing #healthycities

POV. Spotify dishing the tea on your business ‘Year in Review’ ☕️ We are so grateful for all our collaborators, clients, associates, Tea with Sem Lee interviewees, and others that continually support what we do! As we start winding down and ‘wintering’ for the holiday period, we wish everyone a restful time and look forward to continuing conversations/ starting new ones in 2025. #yearinreview #thankyou

OURI Labs and Urban Habitats have partnered to evaluate The Healthy Happy Places Programme by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC). We are excited to announce our collaboration on the evaluation of the Healthy Happy Places Programme. This initiative, supported by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, aims to improve mental health and wellbeing through creative place-based interventions. The Healthy Happy Places Programme takes a unique, multi-sector approach to designing spaces that promote positive mental health and address health inequalities. By bringing together experts from health, public health, architecture, design, arts, and urban planning, the programme seeks to create environments that foster community engagement and social cohesion. Dr Rachel Turnbull Dr Mark Drane Sem Lee Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria https://lnkd.in/e_JZTKya https://lnkd.in/e7x7Cc7U https://lnkd.in/e__xmtz7 https://lnkd.in/eEBpJGcK Read more below. https://lnkd.in/exVcQP55

We are proud to announce that Quality of Life Foundation and OURI Labs have formed a strategic partnership to develop and deliver capacity building workshops for local authorities across England. Matthew Morgan, director and co-founder from Quality of Life Foundation said: "Our partnership with OURI Labs aims to enhance the capabilities of local authorities. By bringing together expert facilitation and innovative systems thinking methodologies, we are equipping councils with the tools they need to effectively tackle complex local challenges. The success of our pilot workshop with East Sussex County Council demonstrates the transformative potential of this collaboration in fostering healthier, more resilient communities." Lourdes Madigasekera-Elliott, the Public Health Strategic Lead, from East Sussex County Council praised the initiative: "The power of external facilitation has been key. It has been invaluable in helping us navigate and determine how we can better 'have the conversation', join up, improve our system dynamics, and create positive change to achieve our mutual priorities and policy objectives." Read in full here - https://lnkd.in/eJV7Vc83 #strategicpartnership #healthyenvironments #collaborativeworkshops #healthandwellbeing

Join us for our final brew and episode of 'Tea with Sem Lee'! We're joined by Dewbien Plummer, a self-described 'back office activist’ in the social housing sector. Dewbien shares with us her journey from growing up in a council property to becoming someone that has a seat at the table and this episode promises to show some of the stark realities we face within society and industry. Given the recent Grenfell report, this conversation couldn't be more timely. We tackle the hard questions facing our industry and society at large. Whether you're a housing professional or a concerned citizen, this raw and honest discussion will leave you with plenty to ponder. 🎧 Listen now: shorturl.at/s7qoQ If you'd like to catch up on any of the other episodes, you can check them out on Spotify - https://lnkd.in/e55fqHs7 A big thank you to our guests and listeners who've joined us for this series. We'll be seeing you soon! ☕

Hello hello! It’s September - the new academic year for many, end of financial years for some. We love this time of year, it brings feelings of new beginnings and an opportunity to plan out how the next year will go. It’s also our 2nd birthday in October 🔥 so we thought it was a good chance for us to give our website a refresh! Check out the new OURI Labs website as it goes LIVE today 🎉. Discover our services, meet our OURI Associates, and explore our case studies. Plus, check out our latest blog posts or what we like to call our learning circle for some reflective insights from our work. 👉 Visit www.ouri-labs.com now! 🔔 Sign up to our blog to stay in the loop. And if you’re ready to discuss collaborations? Get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

We share a special conversation with Stephanie Edwards AA Dip ARB which we recorded in Walthamstow, just a day after the anti-racism protests in early August. Architect, Urbanist, and Co-founder of Urban Symbiotics, she spills the tea on what she hopes to see from the new government and also takes us on a journey back to her roots, steeping us in the aromatic memories of the teas she sipped growing up in Grenada. Check out this episode here: https://lnkd.in/e5hb_PzF #teawithsemlee #futurecities #vision #placemaking

Steep yourself in wisdom with our latest episode of 'Tea with Sem Lee,' featuring Mark Drane, Director of Urban Habitats. Mark reflects on his time in industry and how this has affected his practice. He is passionate about creating and influencing positive change and the raw honesty in this chat reflects some hard truths that we all have to face as a society and also brings to question what our role in all of it is. Tune into the latest episode : https://lnkd.in/enZidFTY #publichealth #healthyenvironments #healthandwellbeing #urbanhabitats #healthyurbanism

Episode 4 - we bring you a conversation with Justine Fox!! Join us for tea as we dive into Justine's world of colour and her thoughts on the future of the built environment. If you often find yourself in a grey area, questioning whether you're even part of the built environment sector (those thoughts of... "I'm not an architect, city planner, or engineer"), this episode is for you. Justine reflects on how her passion for colour psychology helps towards shaping positive environments for people. Although often intimidating at times Justine shows that if you have a passion for your practice, you can find ways to navigate the built environment. We enjoyed this honest and frank conversation with Justine and hope you do too. Grab yourself a brew and listen now: https://lnkd.in/eiRB4xkG Enjoy! #ColourPsychology #BuiltEnvironment #FutureCities #TeawithSemLee