The programme is based on the World Health Organization's strategy Health for All by the Year 2000. The Healthy Cities Project is an international development program initially launched by the WHO in the late 1980's. The Project involves European cities working together for a healthier urban life. Intersectoral work and active participation by the citizens are the keys to solving health problems in the future. The strategy of the Healthy Cities programme relies on a broad approach to the concept of health.
Health implies both physical, mental, and social well-being, and it is a resource for living.
According to a study conducted in Turku, a supportive environment and rewarding human relations are essential to well-being. The aim is to motivate people and the different sectors of society to promote a healthy lifestyle and to contribute to a new, healthier way of thinking. Identifying the barriers between people and institutions and working to lower the treshold, as well as taking responsibility for one's own health. The Healthy Cities Project is a joint programme to promote the basis of healthy life in Turku and to preserve health promoting environments. The Healthy Cities Office is at your service, offering you its expertise on nutrition, exercise, preventive care for drug and alcohol abusers, and other health issues.