Health is created and lived by people in their everyday environment: where they play, learn, work and love - the World Health Organization (WHO) took up this basic idea in 1998 and thus initiated the founding of the Healthy Cities Network.

The participating cities have committed themselves to recognizing and implementing a nine-point programme. An important component is the approval of the council, whereby Wiesbaden's local politicians declare their support for a healthy design of living environments. At the same time, a contact person is appointed to coordinate health-promoting measures and network meetings. In Wiesbaden, the "Municipal Health Promotion" staff unit of the public health department has taken on this coordinating function.

In addition to the practical implementation in Wiesbaden, which is intended to empower the population to take responsibility for their own health, an important aspect of the network is to exchange experiences with other cities, learn from each other and discuss problems together.