Episode 30: Build with Health in Mind
Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, joins us to explore the linkage between health, transportation and the built environment.
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Dr. Benjamin is an internist and emergency physician who has led the American Public Health Association since 2010. On the podcast, he makes the connections between transportation, the built environment and healthy communities. Most of health outcomes are determined by how we build our communities not medical care per se. At this time of COVID-19, we are seeing how communities not built to be walkable, bike-able, with access to transit and green space are directly affecting health outcomes. Dr. Benjamin identifies the factors contributing to worse outcomes for communities of color. Recognizing that essential workers – those who are public-facing at this time – are at greatest risk, he points out how easy and appropriate it would be to locate COVID-19 testing locations near high-capacity transit.
Listen for Dr. Benjamin’s advice to reach out to others (in a safe way) at this time of social isolation and his recommendations for including public health professionals in planning more livable communities.
This episode kicks off a series focused on health and equitable transit-oriented communities. Future episodes in this series will delve into connections between transit and health, the way we plan and design cities to create healthy communities, and how choices about development near transit can support healthy outcomes.