The following list contains eleven characteristics of a Healthy Community/City as outlined in a World Health Organization paper, " Promoting Health in the Urban Context" :

• A clean, safe physical environment of high quality (including housing quality).
• An ecosystem that is stable now and sustainable in the long term.
• A strong. mutually supportive and non-exploitative community.
• A high degree of participation and control by the public over the decisions affecting their lives, health and well-being.
• The meeting of basic needs (for food, water, shelter, income, safety and work) for all the city's people.
• Access to a wide variety of experiences and resources, with the chance for a wide variety of contact, interaction, and communication.
• A diverse, vital and innovative city economy.
• The encouragement of connectedness with the past, and the cultural and biological heritage of city dwellers and with other groups and individuals.
• A forum that is compatible with and enhances the preceding characteristics.
• An optimal level of appropriate public health and sick care services accessible to all.
• High health status (high levels of positive health and low levels of disease).