Manuel Franco
Head of International Relations at the Spanish Society of Public Health and Healthcare Administration (SESPAS), organiser of the 2026 European Public Health Conference (EUPHA), Ikerbasque Research Professor at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) and professor and researcher at the universities of Alcalá and Johns Hopkins
The article presents a fascinating methodology that allows for the study of nearly 40% of the world's population. In addition, the results highlight specific factors at the city and country level that influence active transport, such as population density, kilometres of bike lanes built, and the coexistence of bicycles and cars on low-speed streets. Active transport policies could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shifting motorised vehicles, reduce pollution in cities and improve health by increasing physical activity.
The article is very interesting from an urban planning and public transport perspective. In an article recently published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, we examined how the built environment, social structures, economic conditions and political context influence physical activity-related behaviour in three socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods in Bilbao. This participatory project highlighted how pedestrian infrastructure and walkability are fundamental and how traffic regulation was associated with perceived safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
[Regarding possible limitations] As this is a study of more than 11,500 cities, a lot of detail is lost. Even so, the study is able to identify different urban and transport models that have different ways of affecting the health of the inhabitants of these cities.