How is health considered in urban transport planning? A review of the literature

Abstract

Objectives

Urban transport is an important determinant of population health. Ensuring health is well considered in urban transport planning is important to create healthy cities, healthy populations and sustainable societies. This review aimed to describe how health is considered in urban transport planning.

Study design

A narrative literature review was conducted.

Methods

Eligible literature included research articles, review articles, perspective articles, policy reports and technical reports published in English since 2013. PubMed, the Transport Research Integrated Database and grey literature sources were searched.

Results

Seventy articles were included, predominantly from high-income countries. Findings indicated that while urban transport is well recognised as a determinant of health, health considerations are often underprioritized in urban transport planning. Key issues identified included systemic power imbalances favouring car-orientated planning, insufficient legislative frameworks to promote health, the non-holistic assessment of health impacts in established environmental assessment processes, transport appraisal methodologies which undervalued health and differences between the health and planning professions in their preferred sources of evidence with associated challenges in knowledge translation. A consistent theme in the literature was that a strategic approach needed to be taken to improve how health is considered in urban transport planning and central to this was building relationships to enable collaborative and partnership working.

Conclusion

Health was poorly considered in urban transport planning. Contributing issues related to power, legislation, impact assessment and knowledge translation. A strategic approach is important to address these issues.