Future Methods In Healthy Cities

Write a report on Future Methods in Healthy Cities

Introduction

Lately, the world has experienced an increase in the process of urbanization as more places have witnessed development in economy, technology, and infrastructure, which has given rise to the growth of cities. In recent decades the number of cities is growing, expanding and penetrating in towns and villages all over the world. Research suggests that the way human behavior changes, also results in the change in society as a whole. Moreover, social norms such as government, market, state, family, and values also shape our behavior, attitude, and choices. That is why, technological, economic and infrastructural advancements led to the process of urbanization of towns (Gill, J.H., 2002). 

Furthermore, the expansion of cities requires appropriate planning, tools, and research that will support this growth in a proper manner and maintain the requirements of people living in it. Future studies are an amalgamation of several strategic approaches that work on future-oriented problems and solutions that may or will exist in urban spaces. Its main task is to incorporate future-oriented strategies that will respond to the situations, circumstances, challenges that can take place due to competition between cities, sustainable planning and contemporary change (Leeuw, E., 2012). 

Relevance of the incorporation of Future Methods within urban governance structures of Healthy Cities

The era of globalization has brought many challenges in the growth and expansion of cities. On one hand, people get comfort, luxuries, economic support, good governance, latest technology and infrastructure, rights and duties. However, on the other hand, the process of urbanization has also brought upon several challenges in the form of poor housing, lack of employment opportunities, equal access to health and many other problems that have increased uncertainties and brought upon many risks and potential threats to this whole process of urbanization. Future methods, which are forward oriented planning processes, prepare the cities to resolve future challenges experienced by regions and people by integrating with various urban infrastructure networks such as energy and transport (O’ Donnell, K., 2003). 

Literature Review

According to the view of World Health Organization, the planning and understanding of Healthy Cities took place as a result of increasing urbanization and growth of cities all over the world. It initiated as a movement in Europe to gain a better understanding of cities and to prepare a benchmark for every city in the world. The main objective behind this working was to have an ideal notion of cities and those paradigms on which they can support its residents and vice- versa. As a result of which, WHO prepared 11 parameters wherein cities can help and support its people in all the aspects. However, the understanding and formation of the parameters of healthy is simply a theoretical framework to identify healthy cities, but it is an incomplete task. This is the reason why it is important to incorporate an understanding of how and why 'future methods' should be used within urban governance structures of Healthy Cities (Leeuw, E., 2012). Furthermore, future methods provide with a futuristic view of cities that helps to carry the sustainable notion of the world. It supports foresight and a visionary planning for better and healthy governance of cities with prosperous growth that would also lead to a more inclusive, holistic and creative approach in the development of cities. Such methodology also helps the cities and governance to set a path that would help to achieve the desired goals and objectives of healthy cities. It is also important to know that in order for cities to be able to accomplish the set 11 parameters, they should follow future methods as it will help to accomplish all the paradigms and support different elements (UFSC, 2015).