On February 3, Vancouver City Council approved the renewed Healthy City Strategy reaffirming the City's commitment to building a healthy, inclusive city for all residents. 

The renewed framework  will guide the City's work in embedding health and social sustainability across planning, programs, services and infrastructure delivery.

"We all want Vancouver to be a city that is healthy, vibrant and liveable," said Mayor Ken Sim. "This important strategy helps us ensure that the health and well-being of residents is central to the decisions we make as City government."

Created in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) in 2014, the Healthy City Strategy sought to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and identify goals, actions and tools to address health inequities and improve well-being for all Vancouver residents. 

This 2026 renewal of the strategy reinforces a strategic focus on health and well-being and the importance of ongoing collaboration with VCH, and provides updated goals, key lenses Indigenous Rights & Reconciliation, Equity & Intersectionality, and Accessibility & Inclusion and new measures for accountability and reporting.

"This renewed Healthy City Strategy recognizes that many of the factors that shape our health like access to healthy food, active transportation, and access to stable housing exist outside the healthcare system ," said Dr. Patricia Daly, Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health. "By working closely with the City, we can help ensure these broader determinants of health are supported through policy, planning and community partnerships. This strategy strengthens our shared commitment to reducing inequities and creating the conditions for all residents to thrive." 

Vancouver has been recognized locally and globally for its leadership in integrating health into urban policy, including: the 2023 Partnership for Healthy Cities Award; working with the United Nations to take part in a global pilot project on quality of life; and being noted in Canada's Chief Public Health Officer's 2025 Annual Report External website, opens in new tab.

To learn more about the Healthy City Strategy, visit Vancouver.ca/HealthyCity.