Cork Healthy Cities Action Plan to be launched next week

CORK Healthy Cities Action Plan 2020-2030 will be launched online on Monday, February 1 by the Lord Mayor of Cork Councillor Joe Kavanagh.

The Ten Year Action Plan sets out a series of health-related actions for Cork City in line with the WHO and HealthyIreland policies.

Cork City was designated a Healthy City in January 2012. As a World Health Organisation Healthy City, Cork City Council has committed to improving health and wellbeing by developing a process and structure to achieve its goals.

The European Healthy Cities movement is based on a recognition that citizen’s health is not just the responsibility of healthcare services but is largely determined by policies and actions beyond the health sector.

Over the past ten years the Cork Healthy Cities initiative has developed partnerships with the HSE, University College Cork and the community sector to help fulfil its commitment to create a city that supports the improvement of health and well-being of all its people.

Healthy Cities Coordinator Denise Cahill welcomed the action plan: “A WHO Healthy City is one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential.

“In Cork we have developed a number of innovative projects from Cork Food Policy Council; promoting a sustainable and healthy food system for the region, to PSYCHED; a positive Mental Health Promotion programme for the workplaces to Green Spaces for Health which seeks to green urban areas for the benefit of social physical and mental health,” she added.

Lord Mayor Cllr Joe Kavanagh is proud of the work carried out in Cork over the past ten years. “I am proud to see the work that has been developed over the past ten years to develop Cork as a Healthy City. I am very proud of the comprehensive work plan that has been set out for the forthcoming ten years.

“I am delighted that these efforts will be redoubled into the coming decade. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of the Cork Healthy Cities steering group members for their commitment to the development of Cork as a Healthy City,” he said.

Cork Healthy Cities has led a number of European Projects including the widely acclaimed URBACT Playful Paradigm project that has prompted the pedestrianisation of the Marina in Blackrock and the development of tree trails, urban food forests and beehives in the city centre.

Support for Cork as a Healthy City is also underpinned by Healthy Ireland the national policy to improve health and well-being in Ireland.

Greg Straton Assistant Principal Officer with the Department of Health praised Cork for leading the way. 

“Cork has been leading the way in the Healthy Cities agenda at national level. Many excellent inter-agency projects in the city are funded by the Healthy Ireland Fund including the Playful City, Green Spaces for Health, Cork Food Policy Council, the Transport and Mobility Forum and the Age Friendly City,” he said.