Why are Active Cities good for business?

Francesca RacioppiSenior Policy and Programme Adviser- European Environment and Health Governance and Multisectoral Partnerships

frr@euro.who.int

WHO Regional Office for Europe

Active Cities Summit

Bristol, 9 June 2015

A vision of a prosperous city

Ambrogio Lorenzetti – Effects of Good Government - 1338-1339 Siena Town Hall, Council Room, Italy

Nearly 7 centuries later…….

The Future we wantResolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 July 2012

134. We recognize that, if they are well planned and developed, including through integrated planning and management approaches, cities can promote economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies.

138. We recognize that health is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of all three dimensions of sustainable development.

What makes people satisfied with their cities?

• “Satisfaction with cleanliness, green spaces and public spaces such as markets, squares and pedestrian zones, as well as the feeling of safety both in the city and in the respondent's neighbourhood, are the features that show the highest correlation with the overall satisfaction of living in a city”. (European Commission, 2013)

Is there a case for Active Cities?

Circa 90 % Europeans live in cities smaller than 5 million inhabitants and 65 % in urban areas smaller than 500 000 inhabitants

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2014).World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision, Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/352).

There are ample margins for a further growth of cycling in cities in the European Union

MaltaCyprus

PortugalIrelandGreece

LithuaniaSpain

United KingdomBulgaria

FranceEstoniaCroatia

ItalyLatvia

AustriaPoland

RomaniaSlovak RepublicCzech Republic

EU28SloveniaGermanyBelgiumFinlandSwedenHungary

DenmarkNetherlands

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

On a typical day, which mode of trans-port do you use most often? Bicycle (% respondents)

European Commission: Special Eurobarometer 422aQuality of transport (Dec. 2014)

UK

What makes the health constituency interested in “Active cities”?

Active transport may reduce health expenditures

Lancet 2012; 379: 2198–205

What could make other constituencies interested in “Active cities”?

The problem is not that we do not know…

20082006

……but that we need to “make the case” with those, who can make the change happening!

Exploring a new range of arguments for different constituencies

Health Economic Assessment Tool in Europe’s citiesMany varied applications:

• Barcelona: research

• London: Action plan by Commissioner for transport, recommendation by TfL for use of HEAT in business cases

• Modena: business case

Case studies on investing in jobs in green and healthy transport

Number of jobs generated: • USA: 36,000 jobs per USD 1 billion• EU: 21, 500 jobs per EUR1 billion

Higher job

intensity

More local jobs

Broad range of

jobs

Potential for jobs in green and healthy transport

• Extrapolation from Copenhagen to major cities in the European region: if all selected 56 major cities would have cycling levels like Copenhagen:– 76,600 new jobs

– 9,400 lives saved each year

In conclusion

1. In the European urban context there are opportunities to develop active cities

2. Evidence is rapidly emerging about active cities as settings that can deliver multiple societal and economic benefits, in addition to the health ones

3. Stronger/new arguments and better tools are needed to make investments into active cities attractive to policy makers

4. Research and multisectoral partnerships involving governments, civil society and the academia at the international, national and local level are KEY to move forward.

A vision of an “Active city?”

Ambrogio Lorenzetti – Effects of Good Government - 1338-1339 Siena Town Hall, Council Room, Italy