The Healthy Cities Movement in Kuching: Localizing WHO Guidelines Through Holistic Governance

Abstract: Southeast Asia is a region with an impressive pace of urbanization and with increased health-related problems from urbanization. More countries have understood the importance of working with multifaceted angles to health. The multifaceted manner of understanding includes a developed approach to public policy and Asian studies. This thesis analyzes Healthy Cities projects in Kuching (Malaysia) through qualitative content analysis. The purpose of the thesis is to a) compare healthy city projects in Kuching with recommendations from the World Health Organization and b) analyze the projects from a theoretical framework of holistic governance. This is to exhibit the impact the projects have on Kuching society and the localization of a global movement. Holistic governance is a theoretical framework including three spheres of community-, economy- and ecological aspects. The projects are concerning SARS-CoV-2 pandemic management, local community projects and infrastructural projects. The analysis displayed that most projects included recommendations and holistic governance, but that Kuching society would not benefit comprehensively from them. This display the limited consideration for healthy cities in a fully holistic manner as health projects are still outlined as individual health problems rather than improving the collective health. Aspects of the projects display a discrepancy in the localization.