Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Podcast

Talking Headways: Richard Jackson on City Environments and Public Health

podcast icon logo

How do the places we inhabit lead to systemic public health problems?

On the podcast this week, I discuss this question with Dr. Richard Jackson of UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health. Jackson is the author of three books on the subject of the built environment and public health, and hosted the PBS series Designing Healthy Communities. He has also served as director of the CDC's National Center on Environmental Health and California’s State Health Officer.

Jackson shares his thoughts about the federal silos of housing, transportation, food policy, and health, as well as the under-appreciated issue of indoor air quality. At the CDC, he says, his message that the built environment is responsible for poor health outcomes was so threatening that some members of Congress wanted him fired.

Join us for a wide-ranging discussion that touches on how the internet is affecting kids, migration in Syria, the future of the LA River, the health benefits of trees, and the frustrations of doctors at the “end of the disease pipeline” treating young kids and adults with type 2 diabetes.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Take the Wheel

If Jesus won't take it, maybe AI will.

December 3, 2025

Advocates Push for Safety in Next Surface Transportation Reauthorization

A much-anticipated annual survey of state road safety laws called on federal lawmakers to back up their colleagues work.

December 3, 2025

Report: NYC is Undercounting The E-Bike Boom

A new study from an MIT grad student shows that e-bikes are the most popular vehicle for those using New York City's bike lanes.

December 3, 2025

Agenda 2026: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Left-Progressive Backers Mobilize for Faster Buses?

New York's new mayor must mobilize the coalition that got him elected if he wants to avoid his recent predecessors' failure to speed up buses.

December 2, 2025

Opinion: One Less Lane Ought To Fix It

Federal inaction means states must lead on reducing emissions — but their reluctance to reallocate road space for cars may doom climate goals.

December 2, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Fight Fire With Fire

Berkeley, Calif., is far from the only city where the fire department dictates transportation policy.

December 2, 2025
See all posts