Over the last four decades, the global urban population has more than doubled, reaching 3.5 billion in 2015. It is projected to reach 5 billion by 2050 according to Cities in the World: A New Perspective on Urbanisation. The increasing trend of migration to cities is often attributed to “agglomeration benefits” that cities offer, such as access to employment opportunities, education, and healthcare. But the health and well-being of residents in cities is negatively affected by exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution, and rising temperatures more acutely felt in cities. Cities are also a key contributor to global warming, consuming two-thirds of the world’s energy and producing over 70% of all CO2 emissions.

According to Regions and Cities at a Glance two out of three cities in the OECD are exposed to air pollution levels considered harmful by the WHO, leading to numerous acute and long-term health complications. One major source of air pollution in urban areas is vehicle emissions. Overall demand for transport activity (for both passenger and freight) is growing rapidly, and it is predicted to roughly double between 2005 and 2050.

Cities are uniquely placed to lead projects to boost more sustainable, healthier transport options as they are closer to their residents when compared to national governments, ensuring policies address the needs and priorities of the local community. They are directly responsible for laws and regulations in areas such as land use, and often have the power to create inter-sectoral partnerships, which bring together private and public stakeholders to ensure projects are implemented.

A new OECD report Healthy and Sustainable Cities highlights the positive effect these types of projects have on pollution and the environment in cities. The analysed case studies broadly fit into four categories of policy instruments as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: physical infrastructure projects such as cycling paths; economic tools such as congestion charges and tax breaks for using active modes of travel; provision of information and education, for example, on safe cycling practices; and regulatory approaches such as car-free zones.

To ensure that cities as they undertake projects to address and mitigate the impact of climate change also focus on the health benefits these projects generate, the OECD report on Healthy and Sustainable Cities recommends that in scaling up urban renewal projects health benefits are more explicitly considered, and health authorities are closely involved. The needs of vulnerable groups need to be given more consideration to address the risk of widening health inequalities. The report also recommends to systematically incorporate health impact assessments into urban renewal projects to promote the collection of healthcare data, as well as creating national offices responsible for helping cities implement urban projects that encourage physical activity.

Findings from the case studies suggest the initiatives analysed reduce levels of air pollution, as well as the amount of GHG emissions, with savings equivalent to removing thousands of cars off the road. Findings from the OECD microsimulation model, which incorporates changes in levels of physical activity and air pollution, suggest that the case studies have the potential to generate significant health and economic benefits over the next 30 years if scaled up to noteworthy population levels.

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published Towards the Light: Effective Light Mobility Policies in Cities exploring how traffic systems and infrastructure can be redesigned and expanded for a broader range of vehicle types, especially “smaller-than-car” or light mobility options. It identifies the potential benefits of making vehicles lighter and diversifying the range of vehicles used for everyday mobility. It also highlights successful policies for encouraging a shift towards urban light mobility in cities.

In the report The Freight Space Race: Curbing the Impact of Freight Deliveries in Cities the ITF has calculated that policies targeting urban freight activities would help generate higher load factors, while lighter, smaller and often electric vehicles would reduce well-to-wheel carbon dioxide (CO2) freight emissions by more than 60%. Freight emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) would decrease by 78%, those of fine particulate matter by 90% and sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions would disappear completely.

The Forum Virtual Event will focus on best practice policies and highlight the importance of partnerships between cities and other stakeholders to advance sustainable transport and planning policies in cities that help improve the health of urban residents while also supporting critical supply chains.

16:00                   Welcome & moderation: Monique El-Faizy, Paris-based journalist & Author

16:05-16:30       Presentation of OECD Reports:

• Francesca Colombo, Head of the Health Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD
• Philippe Crist, Senior Advisor, Innovation and Foresight, International Transport Forum, OECD
• Soo-Jin Kim, Deputy Head of Division, Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development, OECD

16:30-17:30       Panel discussion

• Francesca Colombo, Head of the Health Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD
• Philippe Crist, Senior Advisor, Innovation and Foresight, International Transport Forum, OECD
• Soo-Jin Kim, Deputy Head of Division, Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development, OECD
• Cassie Sutherland, Managing Director, Climate Solutions and Networks, C40 Cities
• Christopher Yip, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto

17:30                   Closing: Monique El-Faizy, Paris-based journalist & Author