From healthy cities to sustainable cities: the Castilla-La Mancha experience in Local Agenda 21

Abstract

The 1992 Río de Janeiro World Summit issued an appeal to the local authorities for working out the Local Agenda 21. Later on, the First European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns, which took place on 1994 in Aalborg, launched the European Sustainable Cities Campaign.

The Castilla-La Mancha Healthy Cities Network had been already created by 1991. In its begining this network was made up of nine cities which were willing to asses the World Health Organisation Healthy Cities Project. During the 12 years the Healthy Cities Network was working nine reports were edited, five regional meeting were performed and the Castilla-La Mancha Healthy Cities 1991-2002 report was launched. This net became 100 city-members that were managed by 30 coordinators.

In December 2003, and at the same time the Castilla-La Mancha Environmental Ministry was being created, the Healthy Cities Network turned into Castilla-La Mancha Sustainable Cities and Villages Network. The present net combines the Healthy Cities Network long experience and the FEMP (Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) and provincial councils recent experience. This evolution has contributed to the network creation. A network with its own characteristics and an extraordinary growth which has made this project one of the most important in regional sustainable development matter and a national innovative project.