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

Should Wednesday’s Headlines 86 SUVs?

American tax law encourages people to buy the gas-guzzling and deadly vehicles, but some in Canada are pushing to ban them.

April 24, 2024

Brightline West Breaks Ground on Vegas to SoCal High-Speed Rail

Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga — about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. — expected to open in 2028.

April 23, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines Fix It First

How voters incentivize politicians to ignore infrastructure upkeep. Plus, are hydrogen trains the future of rail or a shiny distraction?

April 23, 2024

Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police

Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?

April 23, 2024
See all posts