Live Presentation
Speak with Joe Abou-Malhab about his practicum on January 31st from 4:00-4:30pm via this .
Video Presentation
View Joe Abou-Malhab's poster presentation in this video recording:Â
Abstract
Streets are the main mean of connection between individuals, destinations, and public spaces. They constitute an essential aspect of every person’s daily routine. Oftentimes we tend to overlook the fact that streets are public spaces crucial for society’s cohesion and resilience. These spaces do not only serve transportation purposes, but also social and cultural exchange, indispensable for the preservation of cities’ traditions. Streets are also spaces for commerce, whether in the formal or informal sectors. Research has demonstrated that streets that are welcoming for walking and cycling (active transportation) have both significant physical and mental benefits for individuals.
Most importantly, access to such streets increases longevity, decreases obesity and diabetes, among other non-communicable diseases. In addition, healthy streets hosting non-motorized transportation and populated with greenery contribute to improved mental health and air quality in cities. Not to mention that walkable and cyclable streets increase the chance of purchasing from small and local businesses. Despite the numerous benefits, healthy and livable streets tend to be neglected at the expense of car infrastructure. This results in poorly maintained, narrow, and oftentimes obstructed sidewalks. The neglect of streets contributes to the repulsion of pedestrians and cyclists and pushes individuals to turn to cars and motorcycles as main means of transportation.
Another concern is safety. Streets built around car usage only present high incidence of traffic-related collisions. Additionally, at night, such streets are usually not well lit and therefore constitute hostile environment hosting various types of crimes. Policies promoting healthy and livable streets can prevent the encroachment and ensure that these public infrastructures are included in development plans. This, in turn improves citizen safety, health and the city’s overall environmental fitness. Such policies are also economic policies benefiting the citizen, regional and state governments. For all the detailed reasons above, streets are a core target of public health interventions aiming at boosting population physical and mental health.
The purpose of my work with HealthBridge is to identify examples from around the world of street policies that lead to successfully developing and maintaining streets. It also outlines the role of city and national governments and how each can effectively prepare policies to develop, build, and maintain streets, thus putting public health at the center of their urban planning and transportation policies.