"Healthy Living for Everyone"…Goyang-si Promotes Sustainable Healthy City Initiative

Policy Making Focused on 'Citizen Health'... Implementation of 72 Departments and 63 Detailed Projects
Operation of Health Support Programs Including Health Promotion, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Dementia Prevention
Expansion of Parks, Urban Forests, and Sports Facilities... Establishment of Eco-friendly Health Infrastructure in Daily Life

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province is focusing more on creating a healthy city where all citizens can enjoy a healthy daily life. According to Goyang Special City on the 11th, the city plans to actively reflect citizen health as an important factor in policy formulation and to build a sustainable healthy city through community participation and organic cooperation by promoting 63 detailed projects across 72 departments and continuously monitoring them.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, receiving the Western Pacific Healthy Cities Federation Healthy City Development Award. Photo by Goyang Special City

A ‘healthy city’ refers to a city where participants in the community cooperate with each other to improve citizens’ health and quality of life.

The World Health Organization introduced the concept in 2004, and the government added provisions related to healthy cities to the National Health Promotion Act last December. Based on the 'Goyang City Healthy City Basic Ordinance,' the city plans to reestablish its basic plan to promote sustainable healthy city construction, create a healthy environment, and respond to climate change. Additionally, statistical data for promoting healthy city policies will be prepared through health impact assessments, development of implementation indicators, and community health surveys.

Goyang Special City will prioritize citizen health in the policy-making process and systematically manage project implementation standards, specific outcomes, and sustainability for creating a healthy city. The city’s 72 departments will promote 63 detailed projects across five major areas: infrastructure construction, interdepartmental cooperation, community participation, project planning and execution, and urban health information systems.

Awarded the Excellence Prize in the Joint Policy Category of the Korea Healthy City Awards. Provided by Goyang Special City.

Goyang Special City has developed implementation indicators and a Goyang-type health impact assessment chart to periodically check progress and establish standards that consider health factors in projects. Next year, the city plans to revise ordinances to reflect relevant laws.

Goyang Special City implements various health promotion projects so that citizens can enjoy a healthy daily life.

The city supports various health promotion programs such as infectious disease prevention, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevention, dementia prevention, activation of physical activities, and customized health programs by life cycle. It also provides information necessary for pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting to foster a childbirth-friendly social atmosphere. Self-help groups are supported to alleviate the psychological and emotional burdens of families with dementia patients.

To prepare for sudden emergencies, the city conducts emergency treatment education including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of automated external defibrillators, and provides citizen education on proper medication use and prevention of medication misuse.

Today's Urban Health Information Graphic of Goyang City. Provided by Goyang Special City.

For a vibrant and healthy daily life, resident-participatory health clubs such as ‘Our Neighborhood Health Friends,’ cultural classes at community centers including sports dance, Pilates, Korean dance, and dance sports are being promoted. Health promotion projects for people with disabilities include adult developmental disability fitness programs like ‘Strong Muscles, Strong Fitness,’ healing agriculture using plant resources called ‘Body Healing, Mind Healing,’ and a developmental disability network named ‘Our Exercise Complete.’

Based on various efforts for citizen health promotion this year, Goyang Special City Public Health Center received awards from major institutions such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Gyeonggi Province in 11 areas including dementia management, smoking cessation, prevention of alcohol-related harm, national cancer control, mental health, Korean medicine, disability, and integrated health promotion (nutrition, healthy lifestyle practice, obesity prevention). In addition, in September, the city was selected as an excellent local government in the healthy city project evaluation conducted by the Korea Healthy Cities Association and received the ‘Good Infrastructure Award’ in the healthy city development category at the Western Pacific Healthy Cities Federation World Congress held the same month.

The city is also focusing on building an eco-friendly green city infrastructure such as parks and green spaces to establish a healthy living environment.

Visiting Korean Medicine Public Health Lecture. Provided by Goyang Special City

To allow citizens to enjoy forests and trees in their daily urban life, the city is actively promoting urban forest creation by establishing child-safe school forests around Modang Elementary School in Ilsandong-gu and the National Korean Special School. Environmental improvements are being made to Daedong-dong Ssamsi Park and the pedestrian paths in Juyop-dong, and facilities and experiential education for forest experiences for young children are conducted at Seongra Neighborhood Park, Jeongbalsan, and Angok Wetlands.

The city is continuously advancing long-delayed urban park development projects, aiming for the prompt completion of Tanhyeon Neighborhood Park (Phase 2) and Todang No. 1 Neighborhood Park.

In May, the city conducted a survey on citizens’ awareness of healthy cities, physical and environmental infrastructure, and other factors with 2,713 participants. Respondents identified important factors for citizen health management as infrastructure development such as urban forests, urban parks, and sports facilities (44.1%), expansion of health programs (23.3%), high-quality medical services (14.2%), and response to climate change issues (15.8%).

Barefoot Walking for Seniors 'March of Youth'. Provided by Goyang Special City

Goyang Special City shared various health indicators such as local smoking rates, drinking rates, walking practice, and obesity rates with citizens by creating infographics and posting them on the city website. Next year, the city plans to conduct a ‘Feasibility Study for Healthy City Creation’ with the Goyang Research Institute to discuss developmental directions with experts and enhance the healthy city plan.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, stated, “Health is the most important factor determining quality of life. We will create an eco-friendly city where citizens can enjoy a healthy and happy daily life both physically and mentally by expanding health promotion, mind healing, pregnancy and childbirth, dementia prevention programs, as well as parks, green spaces, and sports facilities.”