Transport and Health

Densely populated urban areas afford an enormous opportunity for their residents to have access to a range of salutary resources, thus avoiding some of the challenges that characterize less dense communities. However, transportation often bedevils urban areas, with limited opportunities offered for urban residents to get around cities. Traffic jams and vehicular pollution are associated with poor health of urban residents even as the data are clear that investments in public transportation are both cost beneficial and can improve health. Emerging solutions, including autonomous vehicles, stand to transform urban environments and health in these environments. This chapter discusses transportation as a determinant of health in cities, outlining challenges and opportunities for efficient and effective transportation with an eye toward emerging solutions that can improve urban health.