Why is the mobility transition so important for our health?
Human health, climate change and the environment are closely intertwined. This connection is particularly clear in the area of mobility. If we succeed in reducing car traffic in cities and bringing more physical activity into everyday life, health will benefit on many levels: from air quality and stress reduction to a healthy urban climate.
“If cities focus more on safe and active mobility, they could prolong lives. The risk of life-threatening accidents, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia could be reduced and the quality of life improved.”
Karsten Valerius
Climate and environmental protection are also health protection
Around 20 % of climate-damaging greenhouse gases in Germany are caused by traffic [1-3]. This sector has been failing to meet climate protection targets for years. The pressure to act is high, however, as climate change poses a threat to human health: extreme weather events such as the flooding in the Ahr valley in 2021 and prolonged heatwaves lead to social, psychological and physical stress [4]. In the years 2018 to 2020 alone, there were over 19,000 heat-related deaths in Germany [5]. Also, increasing droughts and the loss of biodiversity could jeopardize food security in the future [6].
In addition, air and noise pollution from traffic has a negative impact on health, as it contributes to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, mental and physical stress reactions, depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and lung and respiratory diseases [7-9].
A high percentage of active mobility is healthier – for everyone
Cities should focus more on active mobility in the future, as it can promote public health. On the one hand, it is associated with higher physical fitness, an improved immune system and greater well-being: leaving the car behind and using public transport, cycling and walking reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, stroke, and diabetes [10, 11].
On the other hand, active mobility reduces the number of car journeys, thereby relieving the burden on the climate and ecosystems while at the same time ensuring greater peace and quiet and road safety. Mobility behavior is linked to local conditions, i.e., structural conditions play a decisive role when it comes to switching from cars to bikes or trains. Providing attractive public transport services and safe cycle paths and footpaths could help to reduce the number of cars, parking spaces and paved areas in cities and make room for more green spaces close to residential areas. Green spaces can help to mitigate the consequences of climate change such as heat and heavy rainfall [12] and offer space for relaxation. For these reasons, active mobility is considered a key strategy for a sustainable mobility transition [13].
Policy measures to promote active mobility (such as a significant expansion of cycling infrastructure) could contribute to win-win effects for a healthier and more climate-friendly society [14].
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Our research questions:
- How do different types of mobility affect quality of life and health? What role does traffic noise play in this?
- What obstacles are there on the way to healthier, more socially just and climate-friendly mobility?
Cited literature
1. Henning H-M, Knopf B, Bettzüge MO et al. (2023) Prüfbericht zur Berechnung der deutschen Treibhausgasemissionen für das Jahr 2022. Geschäftsstelle Expertenrat für Klimafragen (ERK)
2. European Commission, Eurostat (2020) Energy, transport and environment statistics – 2020 edition. Publications Office
3. Umweltbundesamt (2023) Emissionen des Verkehrs. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/verkehr/emissionen-des-verkehrs#verkehr-belastet-luft-und-klima-minderungsziele-der-bundesregierung. Accessed 23 Oct 2023
4. Heinz A, Meyer-Lindenberg A (2023) Klimawandel und psychische Gesundheit. Positionspapier einer Task-Force der DGPPN (Climate change and mental health. Position paper of a task force of the DGPPN). Nervenarzt 94:225–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-023-01457-9
5. Winklmayr C, Muthers S, Niemann H et al. (2022) Heat-Related Mortality in Germany From 1992 to 2021. Dtsch Arztebl Int 119:451–457. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0202
6. Schwarze R, Finger R, Rötter RP et al. (2022) Anpassung an den Klimawandel – Lasten verteilen und Ernährungssicherheit schaffen. ifo Schnelldienst 75:3–28
7. Umweltbundesamt (2021) Stressreaktionen und Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/laerm/laermwirkungen/stressreaktionen-herz-kreislauf-erkrankungen#auswirkungen-des-larms-auf-die-gesundheit. Accessed 23 Oct 2023
8. Bălă G-P, Râjnoveanu R-M, Tudorache E et al. (2021) Air pollution exposure-the (in)visible risk factor for respiratory diseases. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 28:19615–19628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13208-x
9. Piracha A, Chaudhary MT (2022) Urban Air Pollution, Urban Heat Island and Human Health: A Review of the Literature. Sustainability 14:9234. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159234
10. Oja P, Titze S, Bauman A et al. (2011) Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review. Scand J Med Sci Sports 21:496–509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01299.x
11. Duggal NA, Pollock RD, Lazarus NR et al. (2018) Major features of immunesenescence, including reduced thymic output, are ameliorated by high levels of physical activity in adulthood. Aging Cell 17. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12750
12. Demuzere M, Orru K, Heidrich O et al. (2014) Mitigating and adapting to climate change: multi-functional and multi-scale assessment of green urban infrastructure. J Environ Manage 146:107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.07.025
13. Umweltbundesamt (2023) Aktive Mobilität. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/verkehr-laerm/nachhaltige-mobilitaet/aktive-mobilitaet. Accessed 23 Oct 2023
14. Inauen J, Contzen N, Frick V et al. (2021) Environmental Issues Are Health Issues. European Psychologist 26:219–229. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000438
