Transforming the built environment to promote public health: the example of traffic accidents

Transcription

1 Direction de santé publique Transforming the built environment to promote public health: the example of traffic accidents Louis Drouin, M.D., M.P.H. Patrick Morency, M.D. Norman King, M.Sc. Urban environment and health sector Montreal Public Health Department Canadian Public Health Association Toronto june 2010

2 Mandate of the Montréal public health department Inform the population on such issues as their state of health, priority health problems, vulnerable groups, risk factors and efficient interventions Follow the evolution of the public s health and conduct appropriate research Ensure that the required preventive measures are adopted by the appropriate authorities Act as a teaching center in the field of public health

3 Urban environment and health sector Multidisciplinary team of 20 professionals (epidemiologists, toxicologists, urbanist, nutritionist, hygienist, health promotion practitioner, geographic information system specialist (GIS), evaluation specialist, etc.) and MDs focusing on the impact of the built environment on public health and the development of efficient interventions Working in collaboration with researchers at Montréal universities (UQAM, University of Montréal, McGill University) and in the university hospital research centers

4 Fields of interest Healthy housing conditions Air quality (outdoor) Residential wood burning Ragweed Industrial sector The health impact of heat waves and climate change Access to healthy food Transportation, urban planning and health

5 Public health management 1. Surveillance of the health of the population 2. Analysis of the determinants of public health 4. Evaluation of these processes and outcomes 3. Public health programme development Influence public policy Community mobilisation Education (social marketing) Protective intervention

6 Transportation, urban planning Health impacts and public health Diseases related to air pollution Injuries and death caused by road accidents Diseases related to physical inactivity Inequalities in access to transport can also lead to social exclusion

7 Research question How are traffic accidents distributed throughout the Island of Montréal?

8 Pedestrians are injured at thousands of different sites! Localisation de l'ensemble des piétons blessés* ( ) : ambulance calls Sites où un ou plusieurs piétons ont été blessés Réseau routier Mètres Source: Morency and Cloutier, 2005 * Victimes d'une collision routière ayant entraînée une intervention d'urgences-santé. Projection: NAD83, MTM zone 8 Sources: Ville de Montréal; Urgences-santé Prod. cartographique: MS Cloutier, 2004 Direction de santé publique de Montréal

9 Distribution des PIÉTONS blessés*, Arrondissement Rosemont / Petite-Patrie Viau Sherbrooke Saint-Michel Rosemont Pie IX Bélanger St-Zotique Beaubien Masson Nombre de blessés (piétons) 1-2 Jean-Talon Réseau routier Papineau Mètres Saint-Denis Source: Morency and Cloutier, 2005 Projection: NAD83, MTM zone 8. Sources: Ville de Montréal; Urgences-santé. Prod. cartographique: MS Cloutier, Direction de santé publique de Montréal. * Victimes d'une collision routière ayant entraîné une intervention d'urgences-santé.

10 Research question What is the impact of traffic volume on road safety?

11 The number of road injuries varies directly with traffic volume Nombre de blessés Ville-Marie Villeray / St-Michel Mercier / Hochelaga Ahuntsic / Cartierville CDN / NDG Rosemont / Petite-Patrie Plateau Saint-Laurent Volume de circulation automobile (Véhicules - km ) Source : P Morency, MS Cloutier, Urgences-santé ; C. Morency. Enquête O-D 1998.

12 Does urban design have an impact on risk of traffic accidents?

13 Les «artères» Photo: S. Miaux

14 Injured pedestrians according to type of road (Montréal, ) NSP Artère principale Rue locale Collectrice Artère secondaire * Morency P, Cloutier MSC; Source: Urgences-santé.

15 Global traffic volume reduction

16 Transportation : Modernise mobility Priority to public transit Stop increasing road capacity

17 Public transit is much safer than cars Death per billion person - km Cars (urban) Public transit (urban) Source : Organisation mondiale de la santé; Association canadienne du transport urbain.

18 Traffic calming

19 Traffic calming in poorest areas reduces inequalities The case of a Scotland city 10 Rate (0/00) of injured pedestrians (4-16 yrs) Poorest areas Richest areas Source: Jones SJ et al., 2003.

20 Source: D. Burden, Walkable communities inc.

21 Flower pots

22 Narrow roadway + curb + island Boulevard Maisonneuve West

23 Public health is involved in the public debate by conducting health impact assessments Public hearings on the environment (BAPE) Modernisation of Notre-Dame Extension of A. 25 Reconstruction of the Turcot complex Other projects Mobility between Montréal and the South Shore CHUM, U de M in Outremont Griffintown development project Montréal transportation plan, pedestrian charter, review of the arterial network Proposed legislation (ex.: traffic safety legislation, air quality legislation)

24 Inform and mobilize the community

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