By 2050, approximately 70% of the world's population is expected to live in urban areas. Although cities have many benefits, they can also pose health risks to people and the environment.
“Thoughtful planning and creation of inclusive urban spaces can have a significant impact on reducing deaths caused by poor air quality, road accidents and, of course, chronic diseases,” says Global Health. said Dr. Garry Aslanian, organizer of Matters. Podcast. “It also has the added benefit of strengthening social connections in urban environments, where people often feel isolated and lonely.”
But how can we make cities healthier places?
In the latest Global Health Matters podcast episode, Aslanyan is joined by Shilpa Vairatupani, board member of the Thai Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation in Bangkok, and Jesús Carlos Soto, head of the City of Guadalajara's mobile transportation department. They will discuss strategies for cities to strengthen themselves, including expanding pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and reducing traffic accidents, pollution, and related health concerns.
1 – Collect data
“The most important thing is scientific evidence,” says Wairatpanigi. “It's not enough to show the emotional effects of changing a street or changing a city's environment. It's not going to persuade people to follow.”
Wairatpanji suggests collecting a lot of information, including publicly available data. It's important to retain this data, especially after making positive changes to your city. This allows us to demonstrate how these changes have helped and encourage governments and local authorities to implement similar improvements in the future.
2 – Civil society involvement
Soto says civil society involvement is essential to making change happen.
“We have a very active and organized civil society that promotes mobility as a human right here in Guadalajara and Mexico, and throughout the country, and this engagement will help us improve bicycle and pedestrian rights, the right to the city, the defense of We want to make the rights of people visible.''Mexico and Guadalajara have taken important steps in this regard,'' he told Aslanian.
3 – Traffic fatalities are preventable
Soto also said it is essential to know that it is possible to reach the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The basic first step is to know and understand the causes of these traffic fatalities.
4 – Political costs are fine
Finally, “there is always a political cost to doing the right thing,” Soto said. “If we plan well and do things right, with science-based decisions and the support of civil society organizations, we need not fear the political costs.”
In Thailand, where disease ranks as the top four cause of death, with road accidents a close second, Wairatupani and his organization promote walking and cycling in the city, rather than just sports and exercise. Currently, he is working with the Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC) to create more space for sidewalks and reduce space for cars through changes such as lane reductions, lane reductions, and sidewalk extensions at intersections. I'm working on a redesign.
“This is a continuous process and we are working to transform urban environments to make them more conducive to walking and cycling, reducing sedentary activity, increasing people's activity and reducing the sources of non-communicable diseases. I am looking forward to it,” says Mr. Wairatpani.
In Guadalajara, where road traffic is the second leading cause of death with more than 650 premature deaths related to poor air quality each year, Soto has called for significantly more bicycle and pedestrian lanes. We are working.
“We know that with every pedal stroke, we avoid emissions that impact health and improve cardiovascular health for cyclists,” Soto said.
Listen to previous episodes of Global Health Matters on Health Policy Watch.
Image credit: Global Health Matters Podcast.
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