Healthy city
Encyclopedia
Healthy city is a term used in public health
and urban design
to stress the impact of policy on human health
. Its modern form derives from a World Health Organization
(WHO) initiative on Healthy Cities and Villages in 1986, but has a history dating back to the mid 19th century. The term was developed in conjunction with the European Union
, but rapidly became international as a way of establishing healthy public policy at the local level through health promotion
. It emphasises the multi-dimensionality of health
as laid out in WHO's constitution and, more recently, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
. An alternative term is Healthy Communities
, or Municipios saludables in parts of Latin America.
Measuring the indices required, establishing standards and determining the impact of each component on health is difficult. In some regions, such as Europe, a health impact assessment is a required piece of public policy
development.
There are many networks of healthy cities, including in Europe and internationally, such as the Alliance for Healthy Cities
. A key feature is ensuring that the social determinants of health
are taken into consideration in urban design and urban governance. For example, "urbanization
and health" was the theme of the 2010 World Health Day
. One tool in developing healthy cities is social entrepreneurship
.
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
to stress the impact of policy on human health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
. Its modern form derives from a World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) initiative on Healthy Cities and Villages in 1986, but has a history dating back to the mid 19th century. The term was developed in conjunction with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, but rapidly became international as a way of establishing healthy public policy at the local level through health promotion
Health promotion
Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...
. It emphasises the multi-dimensionality of health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
as laid out in WHO's constitution and, more recently, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion is the name of an international agreement signed at the First International Conference on Health Promotion, organized by the World Health Organization and held in Ottawa, Canada, in November 1986...
. An alternative term is Healthy Communities
Healthy community design
Healthy community design is planning and designing communities that make it easier for people to live healthy lives. Healthy community design offers important benefits:...
, or Municipios saludables in parts of Latin America.
Approaches
Many jurisdictions have healthy community programmes and cities can apply to become a WHO-designated "Healthy City". WHO defines the Healthy City as:"one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable
people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential."
Measuring the indices required, establishing standards and determining the impact of each component on health is difficult. In some regions, such as Europe, a health impact assessment is a required piece of public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
development.
There are many networks of healthy cities, including in Europe and internationally, such as the Alliance for Healthy Cities
Alliance for Healthy Cities
The Alliance for Healthy Cities is a cooperative international alliance aimed at protecting and enhancing the health and health care of city dwellers. It is composed of groups of cities, urban districts and other organizations from countries around the world in exchanging information to achieve...
. A key feature is ensuring that the social determinants of health
Social determinants of health
Social determinants of health are the economic and social conditions under which people live which determine their health. They are "societal risk conditions", rather than individual risk factors that either increase or decrease the risk for a disease, for example for cardiovascular disease and...
are taken into consideration in urban design and urban governance. For example, "urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
and health" was the theme of the 2010 World Health Day
World Health Day
World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization .In 1948, the World Health Organization held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day...
. One tool in developing healthy cities is social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a...
.
See also
- Health promotionHealth promotionHealth promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...
- Alliance for Healthy CitiesAlliance for Healthy CitiesThe Alliance for Healthy Cities is a cooperative international alliance aimed at protecting and enhancing the health and health care of city dwellers. It is composed of groups of cities, urban districts and other organizations from countries around the world in exchanging information to achieve...
- Alliance for Healthy Cities
- Primary health carePrimary health carePrimary health care, often abbreviated as “PHC”, has been defined as "essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost...
- Health for allHealth For AllHealth For All is a programming goal of the World Health Organization , which envisions securing the health and well being of people around the world that has been popularized since the 1970s...
- Health for all
- Public healthPublic healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
Further reading
- Kenzer M. Healthy cities: a guide to the literature. Environment and Urbanization, 11(1), April 1999.
- Boonekamp GMM et al. Healthy Cities Evaluation: the co-ordinators perspective. Health Promotion International 14(2): 103, 1999.
- Special Supplement on European Healthy Cities. Health Promotion International, Volume 24, Supplement 1, November 2009.
- J Ashton, P Grey, K Barnard. Healthy cities — WHO's New Public Health initiative. Health Promotion International, 1(3): 319-324, 1986.