ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to public health ideas about compassionate cities. Conceptual and policy antecedents are critically described linking these to earlier developments in health promotion and healthy cities theories. The international charter commonly employed to guide compassionate cities is reproduced and its role in creating or guiding social actions is explained. Finally, two examples of compassionate cities are described—one from England and the other from Spain. The chapter ends with a final reflection on the future of these public health experiments.
