Leonardo Zea Reyes, Research Postgraduate, Centre for Environmental Policy

“I’m investigating how to better integrate climate policies into city planning with a focus on human health.” 

I’m an Environmental Policy Research PhD student at the Centre for Environmental Policy. My Master’s is in Urban Management and Development with a specialisation in Environment and Climate Change and studied Architecture. I have broadened my scope from a siloed area such as architecture to the urban and environmental dimensions. 

I’m investigating how to better integrate climate policies into city planning with a focus on human health using a systems-thinking approach – which means thinking about the greater picture. Additionally, I am a partner at Cónclave Consultora, a consultancy that helps people who want to construct a building through recommendations that consider the entire development as a whole. In the process, we conduct an environmental impact assessment – an application of my academic preparation at Imperial. 

It has been identified that climate change exacerbates health risks, for example, the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. My research intends to understand the challenges and opportunities of climate synergetic policies which may reduce environment-related risks for people in the future.

I’m part of the MRC Centre for Environment and Health. I believe that this is an overlooked area but if we realise that annually there are three or four times more deaths worldwide as a consequence of air pollution than from vehicle crashes, it becomes shocking. 

In my spare time, I’m a street photographer and you can view my work here. 

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