The challenge
There is a lot of buzz around living healthy in a city. Many projects promise to enhance the life expectancy of users and residents. These promises are certainly admirable, but how can we turn them into a reality?
Inspired by conversations with experts and key figures from urban development, we created an ambitious concept. What if we can design a concrete product and are able to test it on an existing location? Urban developer AM was up to the challenge and took it up with us. Together we molded the concept into a plan: the Health Hero Challenge.
Our approach
The Health Hero Challenge involves a multidisciplinary team consisting of five experts. Their different backgrounds together are a possible key to success; from health care to conceptual thinking and from behavioral change to innovative business models. This team gathers broad ideas and translates them to viable concepts. The one concept that has a conclusive business model and generates the most positive impact, will be tested on a specific location in The Netherlands: the site of the former Hero-factory in Breda. AM will develop a new residential area on this very spot, however, now it will have a special focus on healthy urban living.
The Health Hero expert team is comprised of Hildegard Assies, Director of Breda Marketing, Mariëlle Beenackers, Scientific researcher at Erasmus MC, Eva van den Broek, Director and founder of Stichting Behavioural Insights, Edwin Gulickx, Director of Rebel Group and co-founder of BEAT Cycling Club, Stef Weekers (chairman), owner Urban Matter Concepts.
In the Spring of 2020, these experts will dive deep into the matter during two ‘pressure cooker days’. Firstly, to generate broad ideas. Here-after the most promising ideas from the concept development will be translated to concrete concepts, with a matching business model. The result is a feasible prototype, which can be tested in Breda. The results and conclusions will be presented later this year. Details follow.
Are you curious to find out more about our approach concerning other projects related to concept development? Read more about our activities for Amsterdam-located West Beat here.