“How to develop and sustain a healthy city in 20 steps” is a new online course available on WHO’s global platform, OpenWHO. Rooted in the principles of the Healthy Cities movement, each of the 20 steps delves into essential aspects of the written guide published in 2022. The course also includes 20 short videos where coordinators showcase examples of policies, programmes and projects that have been successfully implemented over the past 35 years.
This capacity-building course, launched by the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, is organized into 3 modules: getting started, getting organized and taking action. Each module ends with a quiz and a certificate of achievement for those scoring over 80%. Participants can also download an Open Badge.
The course can be used as a guide or reference for those introducing or reviewing the Healthy Cities approach. City governments, alongside their partners, are pivotal in decision-making for the broader determinants of health. The course offers ways to cultivate synergies between them and professional coordinators.
The 20 steps contextualize the Healthy Cities approach, draw on rich experience, and identify the critical steps and actions for successfully building and sustaining a healthy city. By providing accessible, practical guidance and fostering a collaborative learning environment, the course aims to empower stakeholders to make tangible strides towards achieving the vision of Healthy Cities.
For more information about the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and the course, please reach out to eurohealthycities@who.int