NewCities Launches Wellbeing City Award
June 20, 2018 — Press
- Award to recognize cities worldwide committed to urban wellbeing
- Award supported by the Novartis Foundation, Novartis US Foundation, City of Montréal, Toyota Mobility Foundation and HuffPost Canada
Montréal, Canada – June 20, 2018. The NewCities Foundation today announced the launch of its Wellbeing City Award, the first international prize to recognize cities that place residents’ wellbeing at the center of their policies.
The Award creates a global standard for urban wellbeing by putting cities that are committed to wellness and quality of life on the international stage. Cities from around the world will be invited to apply in September 2018 when the call for applications opens. Individuals and organizations will also have the possibility of nominating cities that clearly demonstrate a commitment to wellbeing.
Applicant cities must demonstrate that their policies address a range of wellbeing indicators including health, environment, safety, education, work-life balance and others. Each application will be evaluated by NewCities and a jury of international experts.
In order to give cities big and small the same chances, several laureates will be recognized each year. The inaugural winning cities will be announced during a dedicated ceremony in the spring of 2019.
The annual Award is an initiative of NewCities with the support of the Novartis Foundation, the Novartis US Foundation, the City of Montréal, the Toyota Mobility Foundation and HuffPost Canada.
Dr. Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation said:
“Being home to the majority of the world’s growing population, cities are dynamic environments that are under immense pressure to provide access to quality healthcare for all citizens. At the Novartis Foundation, we are excited to be part of the Wellbeing City Award to recognize leaders that are advancing bold urban health initiatives. We have an incredible opportunity to learn from each other as we work together, across all sectors for improved health and wellbeing for cities.”
Amy Fry, President of the Novartis U.S. Foundation said:
“As urban centers continue to grow, cross-sector collaborations will play a vital role in ensuring everyone’s health and wellbeing. The Novartis US Foundation is thrilled to partner with the NewCities Foundation to recognize the great work that cities of all sizes are doing to build connections and drive innovation within the urban environment, leading to greater wellbeing for all citizens.”
Her Worship Valérie Plante, Mayor of the City of Montréal said:
“More than ever, cities play a key role to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations. As North America’s top University City, Montreal is a progressive city open to the world, culturally rich and known worldwide for its exceptional quality of life. As such, we recognize the importance of placing the wellbeing of our citizens at the center of our policies and sharing best practices to help foster new ideas. We encourage cities all around the world to participate in this great initiative launched by NewCities.”
Andree Lau, Editor-In-Chief, HuffPost Canada said:
“Wellness and a balanced quality of life are part of the pillars of HuffPost Canada’s lifestyle coverage as we aim to help people live their best lives. Wellbeing indicators, such as the NewCities Wellbeing City Award, are useful benchmarks that allow for deeper examination of wider issues that impact real people.”
John Rossant, Chairman, NewCities Foundation said:
“Humans should be at the heart of our thinking on the future of cities. Wellbeing is a multifaceted notion — it allows urban planners to build comprehensive and inclusive policies around improving people’s lives and their experience of the urban space. This deserves to be recognized and rewarded so that it can inspire others.”
Find out more about the Wellbeing City Award at: www.newcities.org.
ENDS
Media contact
NewCities Foundation
Andreia Furtado
Communications Manager
NewCities
+1 514 987 0029
andreia.furtado@newcities.org
About the Novartis Foundation
The Swiss-based Novartis Foundation is a philanthropic organization which strives to have sustainable impact on the health of low-income communities through a combination of programmatic work, health outcomes research, and its translation into policy to address global health challenges.
About the Novartis U.S. Foundation
The Novartis U.S. Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and community-based programs addressing a range of social and health issues with a focus on patient care and access, education, and disaster relief.
About HuffPost Canada
HuffPost is an award-winning source of news, video, and lifestyle content, and also features a highly engaged community for opinion and conversation. With over 7 million monthly unique visitors in Canada in 2017, HuffPost connects Canadians through smart, empowering, inclusive digital content.
About NewCities
NewCities is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to making cities more inclusive, connected, healthy and vibrant. Focusing on people, places and policies, we bring together a global network of public and private sector leaders and Urban Tech innovators to foster results-oriented collaboration. We also produce actionable research that can be implemented by decision-makers across sectors.
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