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From its early settlement, man has tried to improve the quality of living in his environment. These efforts range from imaginative and utopian ideas of Ideal Cities throughout history by philosophers, scientists and artists, to recent pragmatic and functional measures by various professionals (eg.: physicians, environmentalists, planners, etc.).
Industrial Revolution, however, created a context which made these measures most crucial for the contemporary cities. One of the initiatives which has gained momentum lately, is the "Healthy Cities project. The concept implies that the city is a place which shapes human possibility and experience has a crucial role to play in determining the health of those living in it. Yet each city is unique and has a life of its own, a soul, a sPirit, even a personality. A city has to be both understood as a _omplete entity and shaped as a place for living. Based on considerable success of the project in Europe and elsewhere, this paper urges local decisionmakers in Iran to apply the concept of Healthy Cities in their communities as an effective and comprehensive tool to promote the health and well ¬being of the residents, and eventually create a sustainable quality environment.