EuroHealthNet Magazine, Edition #26, 27 November 2025
In the heart of Swansea, a coastal city of 250,000 in South Wales, UK, a former department store is taking on a new life. Rooftop gardens, green terraces, and a multi-level glasshouse are set to rise above energy-efficient apartments, offering residents the chance to grow their own food, tend community gardens, or surround themselves with greenery.
This isn’t just an urban makeover; it’s biophilic design in action, bringing nature into the very fabric of city living. For European cities grappling with rising heat, floods, and widening inequality, Swansea offers a UK-first example of how a building under development, with greenery, community spaces, and sustainable design, could improve health, strengthen communities, and boost climate resilience all at once.
Researchers from Swansea University, Andrew H. Kemp, Lowri Wilkie, and Kirsti Bohata, tell us more about the Swansea Biophilic Living Project.