Urban mobility presents important linkages with urban health and wellbeing, and the health impacts associated with urban mobility options and transport systems can guide urban planning and financing strategies towards the promotion of active mobility and alternative transport options in cities. In the context of the Cities Conference, ECLAC, the SALURBAL (Salud Urbana en América Latina) project, and Despacio.org convened a dialogue surrounding the importance of promoting cross-sectoral action for urban mobility to promote improved health and wellbeing in Latin American and Caribbean cities.

The World Health Organization defines Health in All Policies (HiAP) as “an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes into account the health implications of decisions, seeks synergies, and avoids harmful health impacts, in order to improve population health and health equity”. HiAP provides a framework for addressing complex challenges and achieving health goals by assessing and integrating the impacts of action between and across sectors and improving the accountability of policy makers for the health impacts of their decisions. Safe, affordable and sustainable urban mobility requires coherent and integrated action by multiple sectors, including public sector actors focused on transportation, housing, urban planning, energy, education, environment and financing; as well as private sector actors responsible for innovation and urban infrastructure. In this context, the HiAP approach promotes an understanding of the multiple social and environmental determinants of urban health as they relate to transportation and mobility in cities. Well-informed and well-planned action for improving quality of life, health and wellbeing in cities will have important implications for achieving not only Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11, but also toward advancing other SDGs, the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and additional international agendas and agreements.

This event convened a panel of experts to discuss initiatives for improving our understanding of complex urban systems and the multiple determinants of health and wellbeing in cities, and to present concrete examples of the multiple health impacts of transport and mobility-related interventions.

Structure of the session and objectives

The overall session objective was to:

Discuss options for cross-sectoral action to promote urban mobility and improve health and wellbeing in Latin American and Caribbean cities.

The expected outcomes of the session were to:

• Better understand the linkages between urban mobility and urban health and wellbeing.
• Analyse the health implications of public policies focused on urban mobility.
• Promote an understanding of the multiple social and environmental determinants of urban health (including air quality) as they relate to urban mobility and transportation and climate change in cities.
• Present concrete examples of the multiple health impacts of transport and urban mobility-related interventions, and how these relate to climate change.
• Foster dialogue on how health and wellbeing can be better integrated within land-use planning and policy, with a focus on urban mobility and transport.

PROGRAM

11:15 – 13:00 Session 9: Urban mobility and health: opportunities for achieving cross-sectoral action to improve urban health and wellbeing in Latin America 

Moderation and introduction to the session: Rodrigo Martínez, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Social Development Division, CEPAL

10:45 – 11:15 Participant registration 

11:15 – 11:20 Introduction

Panel 1: Challenges and opportunities for achieving urban mobility for urban health and wellbeing

11:20 – 11:35 Alejandra Vives, Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile / SALURBAL / Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS) / Proyecto SALURBAL

11:35 – 11:45 Ricardo Hurtubia, School of Architecture and the Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile / Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS)

11:45 – 11:55 Claudio Olivares, Director, Bicivilízate, Chile

11:55 – 12:15 Panel discussion and questions

Panel 2: Understanding the impact of urban mobility on climate change, urban health and wellbeing 

12:15 – 12:25 Hilda Martínez Salgado, Senior Environmental Consultant, Center for Sustainable Transport (CTS EMBARQ Mexico)

12:25 – 12:35 Jimy Ferrer, Officer, Economic Affairs in the Climate Change Unit, Sustainable Development and Human Settlement Division, ECLAC

12:35 – 12:50 Panel discussion and questions 

12:50 – 13:00 Session closing and conclusions, Rodrigo Martínez

13:00 – 14:30 Lunch