Public Health
Basics
Traffic Noise Kills 6,330 Americans a Year; We Stopped Counting in 1982
Removing just five decibels of noise from our neighborhoods would save lives. So why aren't we even measuring it, never mind taking action to quiet our streets?
September 17, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: So What Is ‘Urban Disorder’ In A Post-Covid U.S.
Open air drug bazaars in San Francisco are one thing that we can agree need to be fixed.
June 18, 2026
Latest Report Shows That Sprawl Continues To Hamstring Youth, Limit Opportunities
Residents of compact and connected neighborhoods have lower energy costs, better health outcomes, lower exposure to vector-borne diseases, well-connected social lives and greater opportunities for children to thrive. But you knew that.
June 11, 2026
Good Public Transit + Good Public Funding = Good Public Health
Transit agencies need to do more to remind policy makers of the connection between good public transportation and good public health, a report argues.
May 1, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: When You Don’t Really Need an Ambulance
Let's talk about the realities of non-emergency medical transportation, long a quiet backwater of urban transport planning.
May 22, 2025
Car Dependency is a Public Health Threat — But Americans are Too ‘Car Brained’ To See It
Whether you call it "windshield bias" or "motonormativity," Americans have a serious bias towards automobiles — and they're all too willing to accept car dependency's many downsides.
September 9, 2024
How Car Commutes Are Making Americans Sick
Relentless car journeys don’t just occupy our time; they significantly shape our mood and overall outlook on life. Here's how.
August 15, 2024
What If We Treated Car Crash Sites Like Disaster Zones?
What if our number one concern after a car crash wasn't getting traffic moving again, but making the road safer so no one else gets hurt?
August 6, 2024
Opinion: America’s Traffic Death Epidemic is a Public Health Emergency. The Surgeon General Should Treat It Like One.
Traffic violence claims almost as many lives as gun violence. So why hasn't the surgeon general declared it a public health emergency?
July 2, 2024
How Air Pollution Intersects with Unsafe Streets
Long-term exposure to toxic pollutants produced by cars and trucks causes heart disease, respiratory and lung issues in adults and children, dementia, miscarriage, psychotic episodes in teens, and reduced cognitive ability.
October 20, 2023
