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| Green City : Human Health |
 The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
defines the fundamental conditions and resources for health as
peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem,
sustainable resources, social justice, and equity. This vantage
point expresses the unavoidable connections between all aspects of
society and the natural world.
In order to focus this broad understanding toward creating social
change that leads to a healthy urban environment, this section
focuses primarily on those aspects of the environment that can
directly lead to improvement in people's physical, mental and
emotional well-being. This goal depends on social and environmental
change that leads to better health.
It may be pursued by reducing
negative aspects of life, such as violence, drug abuse, disease, and
pollution; and by increasing attributes that lead to health, such as
personal responsibility, appropriate medical care, and access to
green spaces and fresh, organically grown food. Clean air for
exercise, physical education, and recreational opportunities all
have a role to play.
To achieve a sustainable society, environmental, cultural, and
institutional barriers to good health must be removed and
appropriate health care services must be equitably distributed
throughout the city. A primary value underlying these goals is that
no individual or group should bear a disproportionate health burden
or abridge another group's health. Care-providers themselves should
reflect the diversity and the types of care available should
include therapies that reflect the diverse traditions of the
community. This approach will ensure an environment for health and
care of illness that is appropriate to the human spirit as well as
the human body.
 Perhaps most importantly, public awareness must be increased about
resources, rights and responsibilities related to health
maintenance. Health professionals and educators must provide the
information and motivation that can help people take more
responsibility for their own health. Insurers must provide the
economic context that makes it possible for people to secure
preventative guidance. The focus of achieving public health should
shift very strongly to prevention, while maintaining and improving
the remediation services that will be needed during and after the
long transition toward a more healthful society.
Source: http://www.sustainable-city.org/ |
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