NewCities has created four categories in which cities can apply – Public Health, Sustainable Environment, Community and Economic Opportunity. One city is chosen as most advanced in each category; on top of that, the jury chooses one city which succeeds in all of these categories.

All cities must present at least one initiative which is capable of reaching their targets. Initiatives have to be financially sustainable and have a clear plan for the future. Cities also must have reflected upon the needs of their citizens and city and commit to continuously improving the their wellbeing.

Winners will be chosen according to four different criteria:

1. Achievement – the initiative must have a comprehensible strategy and understanding of its impact
2. Inclusivity – including the city’s citizens at all stages in the initiative is a must
3. Leadership – the initiative promotes an inclusive holistic approach and aims to benefit everyone
4. Inspiration – the ultimate aim of the City Wellbeing Award is to inspire other cities, thus, their methodology must be applicable to other cities

The Wellbeing Cities Award is advised and guided by an Advisory Board which consists of six people with diverse backgrounds in urbanism, sustainability, global health and architecture.

The jury, which chooses the winning cities out of 16 finalists, is made up of three experts.

In 2019, the jury chose the following winners:

• Lisbon in the category Sustainable Environment
• Kigali in the category Public Health
• Pune in the category Economy & Opportunity
• Santa Monica in the Category Community

And Milan as the overall winner and Wellbeing City 2019.

Apart from being a big honor for the cities’ work, the Wellbeing Cities Award also opens doors for the winners. NewCities connects all winners with their huge network of global urban leaders. This is a great opportunity for cities to improve further, spread their vision and strenghten their initiative.