Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Public Health

Confirmed: New Yorkers Reap Health Benefits From Walking and Biking

By Ben Fried | Dec 3, 2009 | 11 Comments

Graphic: NYC Department of Health The NYC Department of Health announced the results of a citywide survey today [PDF] assessing the health benefits of regular walking and biking. Based on telephone interviews with more than 10,000 New Yorkers, the health department reveals that people who incorporate walking and biking into their daily routine are significantly […]

New Study Shows $56 Billion in Hidden Health Damage From Autos

By Elana Schor | Oct 20, 2009 | 1 Comment

Transportation’s effects on public health are rarely discussed by policy-makers, but they remain very real — and the National Research Council (NRC) put a number on them Monday, reporting that cars and trucks have about $56 billion in "hidden" health costs that are not reflected in the price of oil or electricity. Photo: MetroDCLiving.com In […]

Walk21 Brings Together Top Urban-Minded Leaders

By Mathew Katz | Oct 6, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Walk21 Conference starts tomorrow, and in addition to some amazing workshops, there’s also a chance to meet and hear from leaders in the global push to make cities more livable. Mexico City’s dedicated-lane rapid transit bus system, Metrobus, carries as many as 250,000 riders a day. Photo: vonKinder/Flickr. Opening the conference tomorrow is Mayor […]

This Week at Walk21: Urban Planning Meets Public Health

By Mathew Katz | Oct 5, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Walk21 Conference is coming up in a few days, and there’s no shortage of interesting sessions to attend. One of the great parts of the conference is that it tackles issues shared by all cities, and with participants coming in from around the world, it’ll be a good chance to talk about what works, […]

Transportation Reform Is Health Reform

By Elana Schor | Jul 17, 2009 | 8 Comments

During the Washington budget debate earlier this year, a phrase widely attributed to White House budget director Peter Orszag was rolling off many a reporter’s keyboard: "Health reform is entitlement reform." Orszag’s idea, in a nutshell, is that controlling the nation’s skyrocketing health care costs, which are fueled in part by the obesity epidemic, would […]

GOP’s New Attack on Health Care Reform Bill: It Promotes Walking!

By Elana Schor | Jun 16, 2009 | 12 Comments

Despite a growing awareness among conservatives that walking and biking are causes worth backing, Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to condemn bike-ped programs as wasteful "pork". The GOP’s latest potshots at sustainable transportation come during debate over a health care bill that focuses mainly on insurance and hospitals, but also includes a public health grant […]

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