ABSTRACT
As discussed in earlier chapters of this book, there are various determinants of health such as environmental conditions, socio-economic conditions, quality of life, housing quality, wellbeing and lifestyle. Many of these determinants are directly relevant to the responsibilities of local governments or are directly affected by the actions taken by local governments. In this chapter, projects from three Turkish municipalities that put health into the heart of planning are examined. These projects each have a different focus. In Bursa, environmental improvements increase active transport and social opportunities. In Kars¸ıyaka, a bicycle based transportation system (KARBI·S) has been used as a method to reduce motorised traffic and create an environmentally friendly and recreative transportation system. The final example in Kocaeli is the transformation of an old paper mill into a public park (SEKA PARK). All of the examples have the potential to affect a large number of people, support healthier lifestyles and transform unhealthy settings to healthier places that may improve human health.
