::: WHO Healthy Cities

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the United Nations technical agency for health. Healthy Cities is a major WHO programme that was launched by the European Office of WHO in 1987 with the purpose of engaging local governments across the European Region in health development, through a process of political commitment, institutional changes and innovative actions for health, equity and sustainable development. The main strength of Healthy Cities is its political, policy and strategic focus. It supports cities develop and implement broad partnership based processes and integrated plans for health and sustainable development. Healthy Cities promotes and supports the balanced (addressing all aspects of sustainable development) approach to integration and development. Healthy Cities enjoys the support of national governments in the European Region.

WHO has developed Health Impact Assessment Tools and methodology consisting of a training and tool kit which would be very useful for cities engaging in the health aspect of sustainable urban development. WHO would also be able to provide a link to other thematic networks.