Governing Urban Health Policy in the Megapolis: a Comparative Analysis of London and New York

Health and wellbeing of the citizens are among the key values of each democratic society. Despite the common belief, the quality of health care system is not the single factor of the good population health, as all the settings of our life influence it. According to various studies, social and environmental determinants are by far the most influential contributors to the state of the public health . At the moment, most people on Earth live in urban settings. Therefore, our prospects for a better future are tightly connected to the living conditions in cities. Cities are agglomerating talents, services and opportunities. However, at the same time they concentrate risks and hazards for health: “cities contribute directly to more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions and account for 75% of energy consumption and a similar proportion of all wastes” . Moreover, global cities such as London and New York City present the highest health inequality rates in their nations. This paper seeks to reveal the conditions for efficient governing of the urban health policies in a megacity on the example of London and New York City.