A public health expert calls on transportation planners to ensure all residents have access to reliable transportation.
In a piece for The Flint Courier News, Dr. Aisha Harris asserts that transportation is a social determinant of health — “Meaning it directly and indirectly impacts how we access health care, obtain wellness and manage our chronic medical problems.”
Harris separates personal transportation options and transportation infrastructure, which is not in most people’s individual control. “In health, transportation is essential to how people access health care and maintain health, whether it is getting to the doctor, picking up medication from the pharmacy, going to the grocery store to maintain nutritional needs, or walking around their neighborhood to get more exercise.”
According to Harris, million of Americans can’t access medical care due to transportation issues such as long distances, lack of access to a vehicle, cost, or inadequate infrastructure. Thus, transportation and public health are intimately intertwined issues. “There are a lot of options to how a city, urban or rural, can look when it comes to transportation. But the infrastructure we create in our communities must adapt and include the needs of the entire community in order to not create more barriers and challenges, but help address them.”
FULL STORY: Getting there is half the battle: How transportation impacts your health
Proposed Alabama Bill Would Fund Public Transit
The senator who introduced the legislation cited concerns about the state’s low levels of workforce participation, noting that a lack of transportation is one of the main reasons Alabama residents can’t participate in the workforce.
Linking Transportation Access and Public Health
Millions of Americans miss medical care and other important day-to-day appointments due to a lack of access to reliable transportation.
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research