A new series published in The Lancet quantifies health gains that can be achieved if cities incentivise a shift from private car use to cycling and walking, and promote a compact city model where distances to shops and facilities are shorter.

These can bring down ailments such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as reduce pollution. Importantly, in cities with high levels of private car use, the authors say that promoting walking and cycling must be matched by improvements to infrastructure that separate motorised transport to protect cyclists and pedestrians from road injuries.

Related Topics