Objectives for a healthy sustainable community

Do policies related to the issues at hand already exist? If so, you may want to identify
who developed them and whether they’ve been successfully implemented. Administrative
changes typically entail less effort than developing a new policy, especially when a sympathetic
official is in a leadership position. If an agency is responsible for enforcing a policy, follow its
chain of command to expedite approval and encourage agency ownership. If the desired changes
require a new policy, the initial administrative review provides credibility—justifying that
action. Sometimes, the agency becomes an ally in this effort, offering more authority, resources,
and visibility for adopting and implementing a new policy.

The 12 goals of sustainable development:

(i) promoting healthy lifestyles (especially regular exercise);

(ii) facilitating social cohesion and supportive social networks;

(iii) promoting access to good-quality housing;

(iv) promoting access to employment opportunities;

(v) promoting accessibility to good-quality facilities (educational, cultural, leisure, retail

and health care);

(vi) encouraging local food production and outlets for healthy food;

(vii) promoting safety and a sense of security;

(viii) promoting equity and the development of social capital;

(ix) promoting an attractive environment with acceptable noise levels and good air
quality;

(x) ensuring good water quality and healthy sanitation;

(xi) promoting the conservation and quality of land and mineral resources; and

(xii) reducing emissions that threaten climate stability.

An effective policy effort begins with a thorough understanding of who has the power to
make decisions in the selected policy arena, how and when they make them, and where to direct
formal recommendations for new policy. Assess the decision-makers; their perspectives and
sympathies can make certain policies more or less achievable. Understanding the local policy
landscape, including recent policy trends, will help your coalition decide what strategy to
propose and how to frame it. Identifying action steps will also help to move community goals
forward. Focusing on one or more policy objectives on the basis of potential for effective impact,
political climate, community support, and feasibility of implementation are important steps when
a healthy sustainable community is wanted to achieve.

Several steps must be made in order to implement a sustainable healthy community:

1. several prerequisites of local governance enhance city capacity for creating supportive
environments;

2. interventions to improve health and social services, active citizenship and health literacy
interact and will enhance the social inclusion of the three population groups;

3. there are synergies between Caring and Supportive Environments, Healthy Urban
Environment and Design and interventions to improve Healthy Living;

4. investment in health literacy, active citizenship and health and social services will lead to
greater equity in health.

Many cities predict health as an outcome of a specific project for a target population. In
other cases, cities predict their strategies will have a more generic impact on their city
populations. Exemplars are Belfast's ‘Health Equity in All Policies’ and ‘The Local Health
Contract for the City of Rennes’. About 30% of CS refer to the objective of health equity, often
achieved by targeting vulnerable groups or deprived neighborhoods. Mental health is most often
referred to as a generalized objective for community services, to be achieved alongside physical
health. Social inclusion, a step toward health equity in our overarching conceptual framework, is
also an important stage in many of the 33 CS aspiring to improve the mental health of their
citizens.

Case study: Glasgow (?)

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and the third largest in the United Kingdom (after
London and Birmingham).

Glasgow was the most unhealthy place in the UK last year, according to a study.

Almost four in 10 Glaswegians were classified as either being obese or morbidly obese,
the Nuffield Health charity found. The city also had the biggest proportion of smokers (29 per
cent) and came fifth in a list of UK locations where people get the least sleep. The study
collected data from 40,000 people keen on improving their fitness.

East Kilbride was the fifth placed obesity hotspot in the UK, with around a quarter
classified as obese. In Aberdeen, 15 per cent of people were obese or morbidly obese.
 Dr Sarah Dauncey, of Nuffield Health, said: "Obesity is a serious problem in Glasgow,
which must be tackled. "Evaluating your health is important and the first step is to take control of
your health and well-being."

Solutions

Urban Agriculture is here to stay and is defined as the growing, processing, and
distribution of food and other products through intensive plant cultivation and animal husbandry
in and around cities. Growing food and non-food crops in and near cities contributes to healthy
communities by engaging residents in work and recreation that improves individual and public
well-being. Urban agriculture integrates multiple functions in densely populated areas offering
an alternative land use. In addition to food production, urban agriculture also offers a wide range
of other functions such as energy conservation, waste management, biodiversity, nutrient
cycling, microclimate control, urban greening, economic revitalization, community socialization,
human health, preservation of cultural heritage, and education.