Healthy city is a "living arena" where health promotion can be realized and basically identical to the activity area of health promotion. As mentioned previously, its objective is to form a healthy public policy per each city unit, organize a supportive environment, reinforce local community activity, develop a technique for improving personal health and reorganize structure of health/medical service. In many cities, activity in each field has already been commenced but its activity is too insignificant to be called as a healthy city and in many cases, "health" is not listed on the prime position of urban policy or administration in reality.
First step to a "healthy city" is to implement health promotion activity at an administrative prime position with placing "health" as the prime goal of administration. Healthy city is a place where an activity according to Ottawa Charter is taken place as a whole in the city but most of the cities are short of expectation in terms of their activity as per each activity area. Since adoption of Ottawa Charter by WHO, each countries, local governments and cities had experienced a lot of difficulties in implementing activity area of 5 categories. That is to say that it was understandable that activity area of 5 categories should be implemented under acknowledgement of a cause that a healthy life of nation/residents is ensured and healthy selection is allowed but this understanding became confused over how to implement this area in detail. Under this background, WHO had commenced "healthy city" project in 1986, followed by the beginning of European areas and healthy city project for the following 4 subjects was proposed as a strategy of being able to succeed activity area of 5 categories of Ottawa charter.
| A | C |
|---|---|
| A strong political support for activity and strategy of healthy city project | A commitment of implementing the project sharing urban vision backed by a concrete subject through a health development plan |
| B | D |
| Forming a new organization compatible to change | Official and unofficial investment for network and cooperation |
A - A strong political support for activity and strategy of healthy city project
- First of all, "guarantee of healthy life for the residents" among the various urban obligation should be one of the main goals as a main task. In other words, main policy decision makers have to make up their mind to invest in "the healthy life of the residents" with their strong determination.
- This effort will directly lead to budget possession for implementing healthy city project. In particular, in case of a project involving health level improvement, its effect is sometimes felt after long period of time being passed. For example, an effect of a strategy for improving residential environment is sometimes felt after one generation having been lapsed.
B - Forming a new organization compatible to change
- Typical organizations may include Healthy City Project Steering Committee, Healthy City Project Office, local healthy city project network (healthy school/job site network) and healthy city network at home and abroad (WHO healthy city alliance, national healthy city network).
C - A commitment of implementing the project sharing urban vision backed by a concrete subject through a health development plan
- As mentioned on several occasions, main theme of healthy city is to implement this project through partnership among the various departments, groups or local community and therefore a consensus on a common goal and vision should be preceded in order to realize this partnership of those organizations. This will be realized at the stage of health development plan establishment and this plan is mostly recommended to be participated by the relevant institutions and organizations from its stage of establishment.
D - Official, unofficial investment for network and cooperation
- Another significant characteristic of healthy city can be found in its networking. Networking is taken place at several stages. In view of local community aspects, general healthy city project network or healthy school/job site/restaurant networks depending on each key project are involved. In terms of national level, National Network of Healthy Cities, a city network participated in healthy city project or national healthy school network depending on main body of the project are involved. In the global level, WHO Alliance for Healthy Cities or WHO European Healthy Cities Network is available.
- Activity through network becomes a stimulant for activating healthy city project of the cities more extensively. The purpose of establishing network is to research on healthy city-related effective strategy and to suggest this to the member cities and the global network becomes a strong supporter that may reinforce the cause of healthy city on a national level. In addition, while information exchange among the cities involved in the network is activated, a collaborative project could be promoted by reinforcing mutual bondage. Moreover, in terms of network, an effort of expanding healthy city project to other cities is motivated to be extended and an effective healthy city policy would be developed through a case study by summarizing the projects of each member cities.
- In summary, healthy city is a city that extends its effort in order to provide various arrangements so that healthy selection is facilitated for ensuring healthy life and life quality improvement of the residents and this arrangement is in line with 5 kinds of activities of Ottawa Charter, i.e., establishment of healthy public policy, supportive environment creation, strengthening local community activity, development of individual technique and readjustment of health/medical service. Activity area of healthy city is confined to an effort on a level of "city" so that health promotion activity is enabled and this effort includes a strong political determination/leadership of supreme decision maker of the city, partnership among the relevant fields and organizational set-up that may implement this activity smoothly.
- Therefore, the first thing to do at an introduction stage of healthy city involves 4 kinds of activity area, i.e., possession of strong political determination, vision sharing, organization/network formation.
