Public Health and Urban Mobility are Intertwined

Density does not, by default, mean the area is built for a mode other than automobiles. While density supports the adoption of active transportation, the city also needs to make sure streets are safe and welcoming for pedestrians. This might look like a tree canopy or decreasing speed limits. Because we know that more driving is linked to more obesity, does this mean cities that are less auto-dependent have better public health outcomes?

In Frederick et al.’s study of commute diversity, they looked at isolated Midwest cities in USA on how public health varied depending on the city’s built environment. Specifically, they looked at whether there was modal diversity in the cities and how that impacted the city. On a county level, they found that “modal diversity indicates more access to exercise space, fewer inactive residents, and less obesity.” They also found that commute mode diversity influenced birthweight more than household income.

Frederick et al. also highlight that it’s not about one mode of sustainable transportation replacing or competing against another. Instead, it’s how different modes of sustainable transportation complement each other to achieve the benefit of better public health outcomes throughout a region.

What does this mean for urban design and building back better cities? If we look at the traditional planner’s triangle of environment, economy, and social equity, public health is not a main pillar, but a secondary priority of this approach. However, in Frederick et al.’s research, they found that commute mode diversity has complex impacts on public health, and suggested that “cities may find it easier to increase multimodality than to address many other sources of health disparity.”

Public health can be influenced by many different factors, starting from how a city is built. With cities that accommodate walking, rolling, and biking, the benefits impact public health and more. But in reality, would the public health angle help push planners to implementing policies that support the shift away from auto dependency? Should public health stakeholders be part of the discussion when planning cities?