The Healthy City Initiative Launched 

On December 15, 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters, the Human Health Organization (HHO) in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Paraguay to the United Nations organized the workshop “Healthy Cities – Cities of Tomorrow” in support of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the meeting, HHO launched its Healthy City Initiative and presented its preliminary healthy city model.

Ambassador Alexandru Cujba, HHO Workshop Co-Chairman, noted the importance of the workshop organized in response to the NUA call of action, and its aim to contribute to a better understanding of the concept of healthy cities and to engage diverse stakeholders in developing and implementing this idea into new urban settlements.

Moderated by Ms. Shamina de Gonzaga, WCPUN Vice-President, Member States shared their experiences building new cities and lessons learned toward building healthy cities. The Deputy Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, Mr. Yerkin Akhinzhanov, presented the city of Astana, designed in the late 1990’s to become the new capital city of Kazakhstan. Ms. Sheyam Elgarf, representative of the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations, explained the details of the national project to expand the metropolitan area of Cairo into a New Capital Cairo. The representative of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Shahir A. Alkhaniny, presented the megacity project, NEOM, which was officially announced by H.R.H. Prince Mohammad bin Salman in late October 2017 as a city of future and a model of excellence in various areas.

The Director of UN Habitat New York Liason office, Mr. Filiep Decorte, highlighted the New Urban Agenda and emphasized that health is an intrinsic part of NUA. NUA links healthy societies with three components of the NUA: environment and spatial fabric, public services and social infrastructure, specifically factors such as healthy lifestyles, green and quality public spaces, and housing and health facilities; equitable access to healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation; and the “right to the city” for all.

Ms. Shophie Evekink, representative of the World Health Organization, explained that urban expansion needs to be designed in ways that make cities a centre of health and wellbeing. WHO views health as processes, not as mere outcome.  She stressed that urban planning should not only concentrate at reducing health risk factors, but also unlock the full potential of the urban environment to enable city dwellers to reach their maximum potential as they live, learn, work, play and interact in their city.

HHO executives, Mr. W. Stan Bian, Ms. Allen Zhu, Mr. Benson Fu and others, launched the HHO Healthy City Initiative and presented a healthy city model. It was indicated that the approach to healthy cities are based on four primary modules: administration, industry, public service, and infrastructure. These modules will produce deliverables that will lead to investment opportunities and economic growth; job opportunities and employment benefits; consumer healthy products and services, and public improvement and sustainable development. A particular focus was put on the importance of ecosystem towards building health.

On a separate note, HHO executives, in reply to a question regarding the proposed location for the HHO model city, indicated there was a tentative plan to build the model healthy city in Argentina. At the same time, it stressed the need to work with national and local authorities and get the plan included into development priorities to make sure that people are at the center of development.