Statistical issues in choosing indicators to evaluate healthy cities projects (not only a political task)

We develop statistical considerations about methodologies that, at least in our opinion, are suitable to synthesize appropriately the impact on health of urban populations of socio-economic and environmental conditions and local policies. In particular, we focus attention on the so called Health Impact Assessment (HIA) proposed by the European working group “Promoting and Supporting Integrated Approaches for Health and Sustainable Development at the Local Level across Europe” PHASE (2003-2005) within the World Health Organization (WHO) - Healthy Cities Project (HCP) (http://www.euro.who.int/healthy-cities/). Among open issues about HCP in general and HIA in particular, we focus on statistical tools allowing for the multidimensionality of the phenomenon, the heterogeneity of its various aspects and the complexity of local urban realities involved. This will be done considering simultaneously both conceptual framework and data, measures and statistical models, trying to give policymakers and citizens relevant information in a suitable form as the HCP – Phase IV “Healthy Cities and Urban Governance” needs.