Creating healthy cities

"Health is created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life; where they learn, work, play, and love." - The Ottawa Charter, 1986.

This statement is at the heart of the Healthy Settings approach, which has its roots in the WHO Health for All strategy and, more specifically, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

The Healthy Cities programme is the best-known example of a successful Healthy Settings approach. Initiated by WHO in 1986, Healthy Cities have spread rapidly across the world.

A Healthy City aims to:

• create a health-supportive environment,
• achieve a good quality of life,
• provide basic sanitation and hygiene needs,
• supply access to health care.

Being a Healthy City depends not only on health infrastructures, but also on a commitment to improve a city's environs and a willingness to forge the necessary connections in political, economic, and social arenas.