Half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. The United Nations estimates
that 1995’s urban population will double by 2025. By 2015, the world is expected
to hold 33 megacities, 20 of them in Asia.
Urbanisation affects human health in unprecedented ways. Attempts to
improve the health of citizens necessitate the development of comprehensive
schemes integrating a wide range of factors pertaining to urban issues. Therefore,
the World Health Organisation has engaged in the Healthy Cities Project since
1986 to institutionalise a system to ensure and promote the health of urban
residents.
This book will provide readers with the solid basics of the Healthy Cities
Project and help practitioners and researchers bring the project up to a higher
level. Furthermore, the book gives clear explanations of the project, practical
guidance and directions to those wishing to launch a Healthy Cities project. It can
also serve as a supplementary reading for university students in urban planning,
public policy, community development and public health.
This book is a collection of eleven papers by leading experts from academia or
international organisations who have long been involved in the Healthy Cities
movement. This book is a product of a March 2000 conference and is unique as it
is perhaps the first academic work to combine public health with urban planning.
I hope that this book gives you a better understanding of the Healthy Cities movement
and that it gives you a scientific foundation that will improve your urban
health planning and policy formation.