WHO announces new collaborating centre on place-based approach to health in Scotland, United Kingdom

WHO/Europe has designated Public Health Scotland (PHS) as the WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) for Place. The centre's workplan will build on the global delivery of the Place Standard Tool (PST), a practical resource that convenes communities, local governments and multiple sectors to assess how place shapes health, well-being and equity, and to inform collective priority-setting and action. It has been led by PHS primarily through the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

What is a place-based approach to health?

A place-based approach to health recognizes that health and well-being are shaped by the social, economic, environmental and political conditions of the places where people live their daily lives. Rather than focusing solely on individuals or sector-specific interventions, place-based approaches emphasize local context, lived experience and the interaction of multiple determinants within specific settings.

This approach aligns with the social determinants of health framework while extending it by centring on how place functions, looks and feels and how power, participation and governance shape people's opportunities to live healthy lives. By acknowledging that different groups experience the same place in unequal ways, place-based approaches support more targeted, participatory and equity-oriented action across sectors, consistent with WHO's Health in All Policies and governance for health agendas.

How the PST works

The PST operationalizes a place-based approach to health by serving as a structured convening framework that brings communities, public authorities, organizations and multiple sectors into a shared conversation about place. Applicable to places that are established, undergoing change or still being planned, the PST provides a simple, free and flexible approach to examine both the physical and social dimensions of place through 14 interrelated questions, including mobility, natural and social spaces, housing, local economy, safety, identity and influence.

Completed individually or collectively, on paper or digitally, the tool generates a visual compass diagram that highlights perceived strengths and areas for improvement for dialogue, priority-setting and collective action. Its primary value lies in the process as a convener for dialogue and meaningful participation by enabling stakeholders to discuss opportunities, reconcile diverse perspectives and agree on priorities for improving social and physical conditions in ways that can support equity and long-term well-being.

To date, a total of 20 cities and national networks within the WHO European Healthy Cities Network have successfully applied the PST through close collaboration with PHS, demonstrating the tool's transferability across diverse governance and planning contexts.

"The intelligence the Place Standard Tool generates enables the significant investment in our rural areas, towns and cities to be guided by the experience of those who live, learn, work and visit these areas," said John Howie, who leads the new CC and oversees "Place & Health - All Policies" for PHS. "Using people's real-life experiences to help shape our communities - so that equality, sustainability and health are at the heart of decisions - is why the tool keeps being used to inform policy, practice and research."

Connecting people, shaping places, improving health

Paul Johnston, Chief Executive Officer of PHS, said, "I am delighted to see PHS designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, noting the strong alignment between the programme and our ongoing commitment to improving health and reducing inequalities." He added that, together with supporting the co-production of healthier places around the world, Scotland expects to gain valuable learning from the work ahead.

Kira Fortune, WHO Senior Technical Advisor - Healthy Ageing and Healthy Settings, also emphasized the successful transferability of the PST. Regardless of socioeconomic, geographic, cultural or policy context, colleagues across the WHO European Healthy Cities Network have found it to be an effective diagnostic and decision-making resource. She looks forward to the PST remaining a key component of the network's place portfolio during Phase VIII, the network's current programmatic cycle, with the potential to evolve into a WHO-accredited toolkit.

About WHO collaborating centres

WHO CCs are institutions designated by the Director-General of WHO to support the organization in delivering its international health priorities. Centres contribute expertise, strengthen capacity in countries and help WHO translate evidence into practice by supporting the implementation of global health policies and programmes.