Health impacts of transport
Urban transport and the way people and goods move in urban areas significantly impact our health, both negatively and positively. The transport sector is responsible for a wide range of impacts on human health originating from emissions, speeds, insufficient services, poorly designed infrastructure and public spaces, and the lack of space for green areas. These challenges must be addressed from different perspectives, such as promoting physical activity, reducing road injuries, improving air and noise quality, fostering social and mental health, etc.
Walking, wheeling and cycling, as active transport modes, are an effective way to enhance the well-being of people living in urban areas and play a crucial role in reducing health issues related to pollution, inactivity, stress, isolation and other conditions.
Projects
POLIS constantly advocates for active transport modes as central to improved mobility in European cities. From earlier work, such as the PASTA—Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approach—to brand new efforts, such as the HL4EU project, POLIS aims to continuously explore the different aspects and connections of health and transport within the Working Group on Active Travel & Health.
Celebrating youth climate changemakers on World Cities Day 2024
POLIS hosts largest cross-cutting Working Group on urban mobility solutions
SOLUTIONSplus publishes new policy brief!
POLIS publishes fourth edition of Cities in motion magazine
Join the HL4EU Call for Action: Support Healthy Lifestyles in Europe
Member in the Spotlight: Vic
Member in the Spotlight: Groningen
Exploring the 15-minute city from concept to practice: POLIS and ACUTE dive in
Flanders puts cycling on the EU agenda
Brussels Low Emission Zone credited with improving local air quality
Starting small, thinking big: The Just Transition is back in business!
New study reviewing mitigation measures to reduce tire and road wear particles has been published
POLIS and EUROCITIES call for strong Euro 7 standards to improve air quality
POLIS publishes second volume of magazine Cities in motion!
Milan and Lisbon to receive funding under BICI initiative
Women shifting gear! Meet the women behind the sustainable mobility transition
ICCT publishes new findings Euro 7 benefits for heavy-duty vehicles
Access Just Transition Webinar: “That’s not feasible without a car”
Registrations now open for the Just Transition Webinar series!
Press release: Introducing LENS, a new Horizon Europe project on noise and air pollution
POLIS launches Just Transition webinar series
POLIS unveils its brand-new magazine ‘Cities in motion’!
POLIS calls on COP27 to take decisive action and listen to cities
POLIS joins TDA Call to Support Active Mobility Capacity Building
Apply to the European Mobility Week award for Mobility Actions
EC acknowledges cities and regions efforts for a more ambitious EURO 7 without delay
London Borough and VivaCity join forces for 15-Minute Neighbourhood
UWE Bristol and Sustrans tackle fair bus fares for youngsters
Joint call for Euro 7 air quality standards without delay
Registration for the Annual POLIS Conference 2022 is now open!
Sustrans publishes new Walking and Cycling Index
Registrations for Urban Mobility Days 2022 are now open
Save the date for the Urban Mobility Days 2022!
Governance & Integration: MOMENTUM, disruption and data
POLIS’ Working Groups: The year so far
POLIS calls for tighter van CO2 limits in order to drive electrification
SAVE THE DATE for the Annual POLIS Conference 2022
New report reveals barriers and enablers to active travel in mid-life
A neighbourhood in Budapest co-creates mobility solutions with its citizens
Barcelona tackles traffic around school districts
Regulating Driverless Cars: New Recommendations Published
EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2020 – Registration now open!
Call for Sessions at Urbanism Next Europe 2020 is OPEN
Polis to co-organise European Urbanism Next Conference
Baden-Württemberg: The LEZ of Stuttgart delivers good results
Interreg Europe peer review service is open until June 28
INTERREG Europe: Open call for peer reviews
10 YEARS OF ELENA – supporting investments in energy efficiency and sustainable transport
NACTO Shared-Micromobility in 2018 Report is now available!
New evidence to present the economic benefits of investment in walking and cycling
Upcoming Polis Working Group meetings in 2019
Call to join next round of SUMP Learning Programme extended to 31st January
Covenant of Mayors upcoming events in January/February 2019
Polis represents the EU-funded CIVITAS initiative at Transport Day 2018
Covenant of Mayors upcoming events in Autumn/Winter 2018
Five Polis members guest speakers at first UCI Bike City Forum “Shaping the Future of Active Mobility” in Milan, on 14 November 2018
Polis member RSM (Mobility Agency city of Rome) to speak at UN and WHO event “Active mobility – Making the change towards a green and healthy urban transport environment, in Rimini on 9 November 2018
Join the Transport Day 2018 at the COP24 in Katowice!
New World Health Organisation report: Air pollution and child health
Barcelona wins Covenant Cities in the Spotlight awards!
Covenant of Mayors upcoming events in Autumn 2018
Covenant of Mayors Twinning programme: Submit your applications by 28 September!
Covenant of Mayors upcoming events in Autumn 2018
Cycling is the urban transport mode associated with the greatest health benefits
Covenant Cities in the Spotlight: 1st call for applications!
Draft programme of 2018 Polis Conference released
European cities can tackle the overweight and obesity epidemic by promoting cycling
Polis working group on health and transport: “There’s a huge gap between what we should be potentially doing to work on air quality”
Call for abstracts: International Healthy Cities Conference 2018
HEAT User’s Guide Now Available in French and German
European Cities Could Avoid up to 10,000 Premature Deaths by Expanding Cycling Networks
Urban Transitions 2018 conference is accepting abstracts until 8 June
Registration for the 2018 Covenant of Mayors Ceremony is open!
Integrating health in transport: Handbook of good practice for walking and cycling promotion & policy recommendations
Sustrans’ ‘Fit for Life’ report on Connect2 programme was cited by United Nations Environment
Two new tools for implementing the Healthy Streets Approach
Winter is coming: the effect of cold-spells in cities
New Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling released!
FLOW project last webinar and eLearning course: 08 November 2017, 14:00-15:30 CET
Free webinar on the Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling, 06 November 2017
International Cycling conference & PASTA project Final event: Presentations now available
Travel funds available to Local Authorities for the “Active Travel for Healthy Cities” workshop, 19 October 2017 in Paris
How walking and cycling reduce congestion in two minutes: watch the new FLOW video!
Polis working group meeting on health and transport, 18-19 October 2017 in Paris
2017 Polis Conference: Programme launched and registrations open!
How walking and cycling reduce congestion: FLOW Quick Facts published in 7 languages
Assessing the health impact of transport policies
Polis member Leuven wins the European Green Leaf award for 2018
Save the date! International Cycling Conference 2017 and PASTA day on active travel & health, 19-21 September 2017, Mannheim, Germany
Polis actively contributed to the WHO’s stakeholder consultation on “Environment and Health for European Cities in the 21st century: making a difference”
OddEven.com: the non-profit research and information portal on the global Odd-Even traffic restriction phenomenon
International conference on transport and health is accepting abstracts for presentation
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