Why Healthy Cities Australia

What is a Healthy City?

Imagine access to fresh, healthy food in all suburbs and towns, and people of all ages can choose active transport and movement—picture seniors from different cultural backgrounds sharing recipes and stories at a community cooking class. Watch individuals forming communities in parks and city centres, which are places of belonging.

Healthy Cities Australia believes that healthy people are the foundation of strong communities and healthy cities, places that support positive health and well-being. Healthy cities result from healthy public policy and empowering individuals through public health initiatives that promote well-being and drive positive change.

The WHO Healthy Cities Movement

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Starting in 1986

The WHO Healthy Cities initiative is about putting health at the forefront of worldwide city agendas. Starting in 1986, it encourages local health and sustainable development strategies by looking at how our surroundings impact our wellbeing. By getting communities involved and fostering teamwork, the initiative aims to create cities that cater to all aspects of wellbeing, from health services to green spaces. The idea is to make city planning people-focused, crafting urban areas that are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, all while boosting quality of life.

Government chose the Illawarra

In 1987, the Commonwealth government chose the Illawarra as one of three pilot Healthy Cities in Australia to champion the WHO Healthy Cities approach. They picked it because of its unique urban-regional mix, industrial base at Port Kembla, diverse population, and challenges like high unemployment and low income.

Fast-forward to 2003

In 2003, when the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) was born, spreading the Healthy Citiesnetwork across the Western Pacific, just like in Europe and the Americas. In the Western Pacific Region alone, there are over 130 members, including Healthy Cities Australia. By 2007, the Australian Chapter of the International Alliance for Healthy Cities was up and running, bringing together five member cities and organisations.

2025

In 2025, we need healthy cities more than ever before. From our roots as Healthy Cities Illawarra for over 37 years, and our leadership of the Australian Chapter, Healthy Cities Australia commits to local, national and international collaboration for sustainable health and development.

We support and promote

“A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.” – World Health Organization

We support and promote the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

What We Do

We support the global mission of the Healthy Cities movement at a local level. Guided by our core values of integrity, collaboration, equity and inclusivity, we work in partnership with local government, health care providers and other community organisations to develop and support action that prevents chronic disease and addresses the social determinants of health.

We do this by:

Advocacy for policy and systemic change
Inter-sectoral collaboration; leading the governance for collective action via issues-based coalitions, task forces and communities of practice
Direct impact through implementing targeted community programs

We approach underlying health inequalities by designing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based and cost-effective programs across key public health issues to help design the infrastructure of a healthy community and sustain positive behaviour change.

We work in three strategic domains:

Healthy Eating and Food Security

Promoting healthy diets that are affordable, sustainable and culturally acceptable, resulting in improved nutrition and health outcomes while minimising negative impact on the environment.

Physical Activity and Active Transport

Enhancing physical and mental wellbeing, prevent and manage chronic disease, and promote healthy environments – for people, communities and the planet.

Community Wellbeing

Enhancing physical and mental wellbeing, prevent and manage chronic disease, and promote healthy environments – for people, communities and the planet.

Partnership and collaboration is at the heart our approach.

Our goal is to establish, lead, and grow authentic partnerships to deliver meaningful health and wellbeing outcomes where they are most needed.

Public health is a complex issue, and we believe it requires a collaborative effort from diverse groups. That’s why we take a holistic approach. HCA unites groups and organisations, from government agencies to community gardens, to deliver meaningful health and wellbeing outcomes for our community.

Individuals

Our programs, events and initiatives engage and empower people to choose healthy behaviours and prevent disease, but also encourage and facilitate civil participation on issues which impact health and wellbeing.

Communities

We work on building a healthy community by teaming up with local groups and organisations to create, implement, and assess evidence-based and sustainable programs and community events.

Cities

We collaborate with governments, healthcare providers, and university research groups to strengthen the evidence behind our work. This helps us influence policy and drive real change.

Work With Us

We welcome government, non-profit, business, industry, charity and community partners who share our vision and values.