Cities are critical sites for enquiry and action in relation to health and well-being. It is now widely accepted that urban health demands an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach, in light of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of cities and the importance of factors outside medicine and public health in determining health outcomes. This public lecture reflected upon interdisciplinary efforts so far, and identified the priorities for the future. The event was of particular relevance to researchers, policy-makers and practitioners in the fields of public health, medicine, urban planning and design, architecture, as well as sociology, demography and development.