The Windy City is the gold standard for health and well-being, according to an assessment of city policies aimed at improving residents’ health.
A new initiative by the de Beaumont Foundation, aptly named CityHealth, assessed the country’s top 40 cities on nine policies it identified as key to improving health and well-being.
“We want every person, in every city, to live the healthiest possible life and we’ve identified ways that cities can make significant improvements,” Ed Hunter, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, said in a statement. “Good health extends into every aspect of our lives – from paid sick days to early education, from safe streets to safe food.”
Cities were assessed on policies categorized by de Beaumont as such:
- Paid sick leave
- High-quality, universal pre-kindergarten
- Affordable housing/inclusionary zoning
- Complete streets
- Alcohol sales control
- Tobacco 21
- Clean indoor air
- Food safety and restaurant inspection
- Healthy food procurement
