Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1200837
16.01.2020 17 TOWNSCAPES planning to action ement in the definition of the city model, and it has a di- rect influence on promoting a healthy lifestyle. The sci- entific studies indicate that urban planning can affect various urban determinants which have a direct impact on Health Indicators, but de- spite this evidence, it is not always easy to connect this knowledge with the specific policies promoted by the city. Moreover, there is a difficul- ty in evaluating the effective- ness of actions proposed at the urban level in terms of health. Methodologies for Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and the definition of moni- toring indicators are called upon to become a key ele- ment in the planning of our cities. The challenge of the 21st century cities is to under- stand health in its broadest sense, taking into account physical health, but also from a social and environmental point of view, and to inte- grate health as a transversal objective of all policies, with a cross-sectorial approach strategy around wellbeing on a city scale. To place people's Health as the epicentre of Urban Plan- ning means re-thinking all the policies and strategies placing the focus on the ef- fect they will have on the health of citizens. But main- ly, it is about incorporating a vision of health that is built from a holistic and trans- versal point of view: physi- cal health, social health and environmental health. The healthy city is also the conse- quence of a sustainable city. Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people at all ages is an es- sential resource in order to achieve sustainable develop- ment, healthy economies and to build prosperous societies. Promoting health can only be achieved by addressing the multi-faceted determinants of health including the cre- ation of healthy urban envi- ronments. The challenge of the 21st century cities is to understand health in its broadest sense, taking into account physical health, but also from a social and environmental point of view