40 cities rated on policies that improve residents quality of life

Our health is directly impacted by where we live and the conditions that shape our environment. To become a healthier community we have to ask: Are there safe places for kids to play and be active? Do residents have access to safe, affordable housing? Is high quality, universal pre-K education available for all children? According to the CityHealth Initiative, more than half of the nation’s 40 largest cities are trailing when it comes to the policies that improve the health and well-being of their residents. 

On February 15, the de Beaumont Foundation released an assessment, the culmination of a two-year analysis on how cities fare across nine policies that help residents lead healthier lives and communities thrive. The nine policies include: Paid Sick Days, Universal High-Quality Pre-Kindergarten, Affordable Housing and Inclusionary Zoning, Complete Streets, Alcohol Sales Control, Tobacco 21, Clean Indoor Air, Food Safety and Restaurant Inspection Ratings, and Healthy Food Procurement.

According to the release, “CityHealth awarded cities gold, silver, bronze or no medal based on the number and strength of their policies in nine areas, as well as overall. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington, D.C. were the only cities to receive an overall gold medal; five cities received silver; nine received bronze; and 21 did not have enough strong policies to warrant a medal.”

To see how cities rate on each of the nine policies, and overall, visit the CityHealth website: www.cityhealth.org.