What makes a healthy city? Collective insights from an equity-centered World Café roundtable in Regina, Saskatchewan

Cities play a critical role in shaping population health and health equity, yet community perspectives, particularly marginalized groups, are often underrepresented in municipal planning and governance. This study examines how diverse community and cross-sector actors define a healthy city and identify priorities for equitable urban futures in Regina, Saskatchewan, a mid-sized Canadian Prairie city. Using an equity-centered World Café roundtable, we convened 39 participants representing municipal and provincial governments, community and non-profit organizations, Indigenous and newcomer-serving agencies, youth groups, private sector actors, and individuals with lived experience. Participants engaged in facilitated dialogue around four core questions related to urban health, equity, participation, and knowledge. Reflexive thematic analysis of collective dialogue revealed four interconnected themes: healthy cities are grounded in belonging, social connection, and meeting basic needs; structural inequities and systemic barriers undermine urban health; marginalized communities are routinely excluded from decision-making; and lived experience and Indigenous ways of knowing must be centered as legitimate forms of evidence. As an initial equity-centered dialogue, this study lays the groundwork for subsequent co-design and consensus-building processes to support more inclusive and equitable urban governance.