WHO Healthy Cities is a global movement working to put health high on the social, economic and political agenda of city governments.

30 years of Healthy Cities

For 30 years the WHO European Healthy Cities Network has brought together some 100 flagship cities and approximately 30 national networks.

The flagship cities interact directly with WHO/Europe, while the national networks bring together cities in a given Member State. In both cases WHO provides political, strategic and technical support as well as capacity-building.

Together the flagship cities and national networks cover some 1400 municipalities.

Their shared goal is to engage local governments in political commitment, institutional change, capacity-building, partnership-based planning and innovation.

In 2018, the network celebrated its 30th year across the whole European Region, kicking off with the Summit of Mayors and building up to the International Healthy Cities Conference in Belfast in October.

For 3 decades the Healthy Cities movement has been a pioneering driver of change, creating healthier urban settings that support the health and well-being of the people that use them. It has also inspired Healthy Cities networks to blossom in all other WHO regions creating a global push for healthy cities.

The network will celebrate the past 30 years with an eye on the future, recognizing that cities are playing a critical role socially, culturally and politically.

Within a complex world of multiple tiers of government, numerous sectors working towards similar goals, and many stakeholders involved in the pursuit of health and well-being, cities are uniquely placed to provide leadership.

Global problems are being dealt with at a local level. The Healthy Cities vision acknowledges this.