This text discusses the proposal of "Healthy Cities" assuming it as an answer to changes that are happening in the context, such as the growth of the urbanization, change of the conception of State, the globalization, speed of the communication, changes in the epidemic patterns and others. The paper analyzes it departing from empiric and technical visions of the proposal: a form of evaluation of municipal districts, a wider social movement, a philosophy or a project that tries a new form of management of the problems of the cities. The proposal is structured within a wide framework of the health - disease process and a new paradigm of Health Promotion. The text presents and discusses the necessary conditions to the political commitment of the authorities to goals, objectives and strategies related to the needs of the population of the cities. Other available tools for those interested in trying out the proposal are the strategic planning, intersectorial action and mainly the protagonism of civil society during the whole development of the project.
healthy cities; conceptualization; health