Taipeis Shilin District has geared up to apply to join the Asia-Pacific Alliance for Healthy Cities under the WHOs framework, a Taipei City Government official said on Monday.
A Shilin Healthy Cities Alliance Bid Promotion Association was established on Monday by 80 individuals and organizations from the district to help push for inclusion in the regional alliance, said Teng Su-wen （鄧素文）, deputy director of Taipeis Department of Health.

The establishment of the association is aimed at building partnerships and civil participation among the alliance members, Teng said.

She said the formation of the alliance was aimed at improving the quality of life in urban communities, reaffirming that health is a fundamental right, that the attainment of the highest possible level of health requires action by many sectors and recognizing urbanization as a worldwide phenomenon. Teng said the association would file an application with the Asia-Pacific Alliance for Healthy Cities in June.

She said that Shilin District －－ which has the top ratio of "green land" accessibility and availability to residents among all of Taipeis districts －－ was blessed by having the National Palace Museum, Yangmingshan National Park, the Zhishanyan Prehistoric Site, the former presidential residence and a large number of hiking trails. These were only a few of the factors that make the district a great place to live, she said. The city government will help push for alliance membership for both Shilin and Beitou districts this year, while seeking membership for Songshan, Zhongshan and Wanhua districts next year, Teng said.

Daan became the first Taipei district to be admitted into the alliance last year, she said. The alliance has 62 member cities from more than 10 countries and areas in the Asia-Pacific region.