Factors Influencing the Health of Cities: Panel Data from 22 Cities in Taiwan

There is an increasing emphasis on creating healthier living spaces and improving quality of life, making the planning and establishment of healthy cities a pivotal policy and a developmental goal worldwide. This study adopted WHO-recommended indicators for healthy cities and employed stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the correlation between influencing factors and efficiency in developing healthy cities across 22 counties and cities in Taiwan from 2001 to 2022. This study yielded several key findings: (1) there was significant room for improvement in the development of healthy cities in Taiwan; (2) western metropolitan areas demonstrated higher efficiency compared to eastern counties, cities, and outlying islands; and (3) key indicators of a healthy city included nursing manpower, air quality, employment rates, income levels, and the availability of kindergartens. Developing healthy cities requires integrating various factors including policy, environmental conditions, societal aspects, and economic considerations. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential for fostering sustainable, healthy cities.