Developing Urban Infrastructure Supportive to Health: The Healthy Cities approach

摘要

As a result of the population increase in urban areas globally, urban living environments and living conditions and their relation to human health have become a serious concern. A national effort-Healthy Japan 21-emphasizes the importance of creating a 'health-supportive environment' in addition to improving individuals' own efforts towards living healthily. The concept of how human health can be supported by the provision of an appropriate living environment is based on a model of stages of medicine proposed by McDermott. Research results on how urban green spaces contribute to the longevity of urban senior citizens are stimulating evidence-based policy formation. Planning towards a barrier-free society is another practical example of how the environment can be adapted to support health issues faced by urban residents. The World Health Organization's Healthy Cities initiative and its network, use a broad concept of health and provide concrete examples of how the negative aspects of urbanization can be overcome in the ongoing creation of health-supportive environments in the era of urbanization.