Social networks and healthy cities: spreading good practices based on a spanish case study

Abstract

The city of Vitoria‐Gasteiz in Spain is considered a “healthy city” and has implemented sustainable actions to increase the mobility of its healthcare professionals. The objectives of this study are firstly to account for the use of bicycles at work as a strategy for a healthy city and secondly to propose a conceptual framework for analyzing this network and its capacity to spread their practices The paradigm proposed is that of social networks, within which sharing between contacts is explained by means of two models: the “threshold model” and “opinion leaders”.

Key words:

• Medical geography
• healthy city
• social networks
• sustainable urban development

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paz Benito del pozo

Dr. Paz Benito del Pozo is a Senior Lecturer on Human Geography, Department of Geography and Geology, University of Leon‐Spain; [[email protected]].

Néstor Serrano

Mr. Néstor Serrano is affiliated with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust in Plymouth, UK; [[email protected]].

Pilar Marqués‐sánchez

Dr. Pilar Marqués‐Sánchez is a Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, University of Leon, Spain; [[email protected]].