This is at the center of much of the dissatisfaction with International Agencies at this point in time - both from the side of governments and social movements. I believe there is a strong opportunity for Healthy Cities to become policy relevant in a new way at the global level. Sustainability is lived at the local level, social cohesion is created at the local level, and people's quality of life depends on the quality of their place, or local environment. Healthy Cities in Europe and North America, as well as Healthy Municipalities in Latin America has moved far ahead in becoming a highly structured movement, it has developed skills for health planning and implementation of public health measures. Networks both need and generate trust.
Social capital can become a potent economic force.
Lower transaction costs increase opportunities for productive cooperation. Healthy cities should be at the forefront of contributing to the formation of international social and health policy, contributing to the development of new forms of health governance, giving civil society and the global citizen say in global policy formation. Healthy cities should continue to be a hotbed of innovative ideas for the improvement of the quality of life citizens at the local level, a model for boundary crossing - but also be much more innovative and aggressive in making public globally what it has achieved.