For the first time, members of the public are invited to vote for their favorite projects

The Fourth International Active Cities, Healthy Cities Contest is seeking entries from cities in Latin America and the Caribbean that have sponsored initiatives to encourage healthy living and improve the quality of life for their residents.

For the first time, the public will be able to participate in the selection of finalists through online voting. Final winners will be judged by a panel of experts, who will announce the results in September 2011.

Visit the contest website http://concursocacs.com for more details and for an interview with PAHO’s Enrique Jacoby (in Spanish).

Past Active Cities, Healthy Cities contest winners have included:

• Mexico City’s Muévete en bici (“Get on your bike”) initiative, which closes off 10 kilometers of city streets each Sunday, creating a giant public park that is used by hundreds of thousands of residents.
• Pirapora, Brazil's city recycling and clean-up program, which improved the city's environment and helped to eliminate cases of dengue fever. 
• Biciacción ("Bike Action") of Quito, Ecuador, for "Quito Moves with You," an effort to reclaim roadways for recreational uses.

Entries for 2011 will be judged in four categories: (1) sustainable transportation and air quality; (2) public space, parks and environmental protection; (3) physical activity and recreation; and (4) road safety.

Sponsors of this year's contest include the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Center for Sustainable Transport (EMBARQ) of the World Resources Institute, The Center for Sustainable Transport and Health in the Andean Region, the Center for Sustainable Transport and Health in the Andean Region, the Center for Sustainable Transport of Brazil, and the Center for Sustainable Transport of Mexico.

For more information visit: http://concursocacs.com