Become a Cityzen

Cityzens is an Africa-led, youth-driven global movement that uses a combination of physical activity and citizen science to advocate for healthy, sustainable places and enhance meaningful youth participation in decisions that shape the future of cities.

Join us

Whether you’re simply looking to join a run with like-minded members of your community, or want to organise campaigns and advocate for change, this platform has been built to guide you on your journey and help you to level up along the way.

Follow the steps below to get set up and start playing an active role in the health of urban spaces.

How to become a Cityzen

01 Register on this site to create a profile

02 Log in to complete required training modules with videos, quizzes, and certification

03 Participate by signing up for a run

04 Engage with our learning system to level up and learn how to collect data, lead runs or initiate campaigns

05 Collect data using the app or one of our wearable sensors

06 Analyse data collected by all runners

07 Organise campaigns and advocate for healthier urban spaces

Cityzens Toolbox

Level Up as a Cityzen

You can apply to become a Cityzen through our Cityzens Hub. If there is a Hub in your city, register here and log in to create your profile. As a Cityzen, you can choose to be:

Runner

Runners actively participate in UrbanBetter Cityzen’s activations and campaigns, using physical activity as a tool for advocacy.

By joining organised runs, they help raise awareness of urban health challenges such as air pollution and safe mobility, contributing to a collective movement for healthier, more sustainable cities.

Run Tracker

Run Trackers play a crucial role in gathering environmental and health-related data during activations and campaigns.

Using tools like the Cityzens app, they collect real-time information on air quality, movement patterns, and urban exposure. Their data helps shape evidence-based advocacy efforts and informs public engagement strategies.

Run Leader

Run Leaders are at the forefront of organising and leading UrbanBetter Cityzens activations.

They coordinate runs, mobilise communities, and ensure that campaigns are strategically aligned with local urban challenges. Beyond leading physical activities, they translate collected data into actionable insights, engaging with policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to drive meaningful change in urban decision-making.

What do Cityzens do?

Cityzens aspire

They use data to shape new narratives to inform the design of urban spaces and engagement with decision-makers

Cityzens inspire

They lead activations that use physical activity to generate data stories about health and climate risks and assets in public space

Cityzens conspire

They build community movements equipped to increase the demand for healthy climate-resilient public spaces

Join an upcoming run

No upcoming runs or campaigns

Data collected by Cityzens

Partner with a Hub

Hubs are local civil society organisations that act as social infrastructure and provide space for Cityzens to host activations and plan advocacy campaigns.

No hub in your city? Consider hosting a Hub or recommend an organisation that might.

What Cityzens say

Through my citizen science advocacy work, I’m committed to increasing the demand for clean air. That’s why I’m planning on measuring air quality as I run the Lagos marathon in 2023

Lagosians and Nigerians deserve better air quality and an improved quality of life. This is an opportunity for me to be the change I want to see. Environmental sustainability needs to be taken more seriously in Nigeria and across Africa. We are already witnessing the consequences, such as ozone layer depletion. Properly disposing of litter can significantly improve our air quality by reducing pollution sources. A few years ago, I participated in the CleanAirRun organised by Onome. While it was a fantastic experience, allowing us to photograph pollutants along the route, it was also disheartening to see the amount of litter around. We don't throw trash on the floors in our homes; it’s unacceptable to do so in our environment. Proper waste disposal is essential for a cleaner, healthier environment and better air quality.

I previously participated in UrbanBetter’s 15km run for clean air where we collected air quality data. At the end of the run, I was educated and now I wish to share this knowledge with all.

As Gandhi said, 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' Leading runs, engaging in citizen science, and advocating for the environment have empowered me to inspire others and foster a sustainable future. Together, our small actions create waves of positive change.

Download the Cityzens app