TRANSPORT + HEALTH 2024
Exercise is a miracle cure. It improves physical and mental health and reduces demands on NHS services and social care. The best forms of exercise are those that fit into everyday life, making active travel a "best buy" for improving population-level health.
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Transport matters for health. It gives access to amenities, services and employment, and supports social connections. By 2050, 70% of the global population will live in urban areas, exposing a greater number of people to urban-related health risks that will be further exacerbated by climate change.
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Changes to transport policies at a national and local level have huge potential to improve the health of the population and reduce health inequalities.
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Exercise improves health and Active Travel England's mission is shared by the health service. We all want to see more people incorporating active travel into their day as a way to keep mentally and physically fit
Professor Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer and Active Travel England board member
WHAT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED:
Transport + Health 2024 will showcase best practice across inter-related areas of transport, mobility, health and wellbeing. While transport policies can play a key role in addressing health and wellbeing disparities, such policies cannot effectively address these disparities in isolation. There is increasing recognition of the need to develop a more holistic view of health amongst practitioners, researchers and policy makers.
The event will showcase best practice across:
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Physical and mental health, wellbeing and environmental pollution, including air quality, noise and particulate matter
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Road danger reduction and prevention of vehicle-related injuries and fatalities
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The impact of active travel – walking, wheeling and cycling – on health
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Transport poverty, social exclusion, mobility options and accessibility
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Wider effects of transport and infrastructure: community severance and divided communities
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Building a multi-stakeholder approach to transport and health policy
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The positive impacts of access to green and blue spaces
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The role of policies which discourage unnecessary private car use in urban areas, for example restricting on-street parking restrictions and congestion charging
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The social, physical and environmental determinants of health
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Active Travel is a key part of achieving so many of the government's top priorities, so we want to link up with those agendas from the very start. Providing low-cost, healthy travel options to get to schools, shops and workplaces will revitalise high streets across the country and help us decarbonise at the same time
Chris Boardman CBE, National Active Travel Commissioner
