Wellbeing City Award Finalists Announced by NewCities, Montréal, Canada*
Amaravati has been ranked 1st among 4 finalists cities in Economy & opportunities in the Well being City Award finalists.
- Wellbeing City Award is world’s first global competition recognizing city-led action on urban wellbeing.
Montréal, Canada* NewCities, together with partners Novartis Foundation and Novartis US Foundation, yesterday (Feb. 4) announced 16 finalist cities for the first edition of the Wellbeing City Award.
The prestigious international Award is the first of its kind. It recognizes cities placing wellbeing at the center of urban design, planning, and policies.
he Award was launched in September 2018. More than 100 cities from 27 countries and six continents were considered. The finalist cities for the 2019 Wellbeing City Award, are categorised, into:
- Community
- Economy and Opportunity
- Public Health and
- Sustainable Environment
The city of Amaravati was nominated as one of the finalists for the NewCities’ Wellbeing 2019 City Award under Economy and Opportunity category. Finalists being the following
- Amaravati (India),
- Chicago (USA),
- Ljubljana (Slovenia) and
- Pune (India)
16 cities from six continents, have been announced as finalists for the 2019 Award.
A major award ceremony and forum will be held in Montréal in mid-2019, under the auspices of Mayor Valérie Plante.
As part of the final phase of the Award, NewCities has brought together an esteemed Jury of Experts, including Arianna Huffington, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, and Daniel Libeskind, to judge detailed applications from finalist cities. One laureate in each of the four categories and one overall 2019 Wellbeing City laureate will be announced in April 2019.
A formal ceremony and international urban wellbeing forum will be held in Montréal in mid-2019; bringing together mayors, senior government leaders, and entrepreneurs and innovators from private and non-profit sectors.
John Rossant, Founder and Chairperson of NewCities says: “Too often cities are reactively addressing wellbeing as a silo issue, rather than examining ways to holistically improve the quality of life for citizens for the long term and from a social perspective.
Just as buildings, cars, and schools have enforceable and measurable standards, so should cities when it comes to wellbeing for urbanites. The Wellbeing City Award will help create data points and key performance indicators around wellbeing within cities that can be applied on a global scale and for cities of all sizes.
With improving the standard of urban life as the ultimate goal, cities must be judged on activities and investments that promote wellbeing. We want to increase the mandate for and recognize cities prioritizing wellbeing. And that is why we launched this important Award.”
Dr. Ann Aerts, Head of Novartis Foundation said: “The 16 finalist cities surface a diverse range of wellbeing initiatives. Together with NewCities, we are looking forward to curating and sharing learning and stories of wellbeing success to actively help these initiatives be replicated or adapted on an international scale and contribute to healthier and more inclusive cities around the world.”
Amy Fry, President of Novartis US Foundation said: “With the increasing standard of urban life, cities must consider activities and investments that promote health and wellbeing for the long term.”
The annual Award has been developed by NewCities in partnership with the Novartis
Foundation, the Novartis US Foundation, and in collaboration with the Toyota Mobility
Foundation, the City of Montréal, and the US Green Building Council. It is supported by
HuffPost Canada, OpenGov Asia, Design Exchange, and Icons of Infrastructure.
For more about the Award and details about the finalist cities, including quotes from and interviews with Mayors, visit www.newcities.org/wellbeingcity-awar