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Communication dans un congrès Année : 2010

“Healthy cities” in France : what are the issues for local urban policies ?

Erwan Le Goff
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Résumé

The Healthy Cities programme was created in 1986 by the European Bureau of the World Health Organization, which defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This wide defintion of health is the base of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion signed by the members of the World Health Organization in 1986. Being a healthy city is more a process than a result : a healthy city is not a city that reached a particular health status but one that tries to improve its health status. Healthy cities have built networks to exchange their experiences with other Healthy cities. These networks are national networks. The french Healthy cities network was created in 1990. Seventy-two cities are members of this network. Health Promotion is not a legal competence of the cities : the ministry of Health is the main actor of the health promotion. As a consequence, joining the french healthy cities network is the expression of a political commitment as the cities are not legally obliged to integrate health in their policies. First, the reasons to join the Healthy cities network will be discussed: are the cities sincere or opportunist ? Secondly, it will be interesting to evaluate the degree of motivation of the healthy cities after they have joined the network. Thirdly, the place of health in the local urban policies of Healthy cities will be analyzed. The main motivation of the joining to the French network is the exchange of information and of experiences. The relations with town councillors or with technicians is another reason which encouraged cities to join the network. These relations can be divided into two parts : on one side, previous relations between two cities, that can encourage a city to join the other city; on the other side, joining the network is an opportunity to meet other town councillors or technicians. The third motivation of the cities is to get a label, although the selection of the cities by the network is based on their commitment on the future and not on their results. A fourth motivation appeared in the deliberations of town councils : the legitimation. Joining the network is an opportnity for the cities to legitimate their role in public health and in health promotion. Healthy cities programme is not the only one that advocates health in every local policy. Many Healthy Cities are involved in other networks or labels linked to health or sustainable developement. Two approaches, which are supported by the same methods may fit with their goals: local Agenda 21 and the “health city workshops”, or ASV (policy for deprived neighbourhoods). The main objective of the Healthy cities programme is the integration of health in all local urban policies. Threeurban policies seem to take health into account : social policy, childhood policy and sport policy. The other policies like environment, housing, transport or urbanism policies don't seem to integrate health, although they can have a real impact on health, as they can modify the living environment.

Domaines

Géographie
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Dates et versions

halshs-00551582, version 1 (04-01-2011)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : halshs-00551582 , version 1

Citer

Erwan Le Goff. “Healthy cities” in France : what are the issues for local urban policies ?. ENRGHI 2010 (Emerging New researchers in geography of health and impairment), Jun 2010, Paris, France. ⟨halshs-00551582⟩
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