Foreword

Investing in the health and the environment of cities means investing in the future, the survival and prosperity of our growing urban societies. Developing integrative policies and programmes for health and ecological development requires strong political will and a commitment to sustainability, equity, intersectoral cooperation, community involvement and close collaboration between national and local governments. This book is about translating the theory into practice. The examples are mainly drawn from the experiences and innovative initiatives of cities that participate in the WHO Healthy Cities movement and the OECD Ecological Cities project. At the 'International Healthy and Ecological Cities Congress - Our City, Our Future' which was held in Madrid 22-25 March 1995 participants presented and discussed a wide range of innovative case studies from all over the world. The purpose of the publication at hand is to capture the state of the art of international action and provide insights into the process of change from a selection of case studies and keynote speeches presented at the Madrid Congress. The book provides concrete examples of good practices and supportive mechanisms for change at local, national and international levels.

Josef Konvitz
Principal Administrator
Territorial Development Service
Urban Affairs Division
Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Agis D. Tsouros
Coordinator
Healthy Cities Project
World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe

"We must strive for urban utopia in our planet's cities." Her Majesty the Queen of Spain

"We, with our mandate to govern and administer, have a responsibility to make our cities healthier and more habitable." Jos, Maria Alvarez del Manzano y Lopez del Hierro Lord Mayor of Madrid

"There is another side to the coin. That is HEALTH OPPORTUNITIES that are generated through urban development." Dr Hiroshi Nakajima, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)

"A new ethic must be put into practice. But this will remain impossible unless we stop thinking of our participation in the common good as a tax." Mr Ariel Alexandre, Head of Urban Affairs Division Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"We have to care not only about future generations, but also for present generations and especially for those who live at the margins of our society." Mr Eric Berborgh, Deputy Director, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

"The developed countries have to recognize that their urban lifestyles, their patterns of production and consumption are an important part of the global environment problem." Professor Dr Klaus Tipfer, Chairman United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development