Summary
The session’s core message was that cities function as a powerful, everyday determinant of health: people may spend only “fifteen minutes a year” with a doctor, but they spend the rest of the year inside environments that shape movement, air quality, heat exposure, social connection and mental wellbeing. The opening framed the city itself as “another kind of doctor,” then connected that idea to regional architectural wisdom, including old neighborhoods and the Birgil wind tower, which cooled homes before air conditioning. The moderator, Andrew, introduced the panel as an exploration of how physical and mental health can be supported in cities across the region and globally, bringing together nutritionist and author Max Lugavere, Blue Zones researcher Dan Buettner, and scientist-author Dr. Khaled Ghattass.
Key Topics
5 key topics from Andrew Tuck, Max Lugavere, Dan Buettner and Khaled Ghattass at LIVEX | Main Stage. Thicker branches were mentioned more often in the talk.
Key Takeaways
- Design cities to make walking, shade and clean air easier.
- Prioritize whole fruits, vegetables and lean protein in daily meals.
- Use sleep, movement, faith and friendships as longevity levers.
- Make healthier food choices the path of least resistance.
- Build belonging into communities, not just infrastructure.
“we, with every choice that we make, we are in a way influencing our cognitive destiny.”
Up Next

GNext in agenda
The hospital was never enough: Healthcare as urban design
Later in the agenda
The investment follows the life

SLater in the agenda
