Mark STEVENSON

Biographical note
Professor Mark Stevenson is an epidemiologist and Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health at the University of Melbourne. He is a National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) Fellow, an Honorary Professor in the Peking University Health Science Centre, China and an advisor for injury to the Director General of the World Health Organization.
Prof Stevenson has worked on numerous national and international projects that have directly influenced transport policy and worked with both Federal and State Governments in Australia and internationally. He has led many research groups and is internationally recognized in the field of transport safety and public health. Prof Stevenson is the director of the newly established Transport, Health and Urban Design research hub (see https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/udth) comprising a cross-disciplinary research team exploring how the effects of urban form and transportation influence the health of residents in cities.

Presentation: Land-use, transport and population health: estimating the health benefits of compact cities
This paper will outline the population health effects arising from alternative land-use and transport policy initiatives in six cities. Land-use changes were modelled to reflect a compact city in which land-use density and diversity were increased and distances to public transport were reduced to produce low motorised mobility, namely a modal shift from private motor vehicles to walking, cycling, and public transport. The modelled compact city scenario resulted in health gains for all cities (for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease) with the overall health gains ranging from 420 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100 000 population to 826 DALYs per 100 000 population. However, for moderate to highly motorised cities, such as Melbourne, London, and Boston, the compact city scenario predicted a small increase in road trauma for cyclists and pedestrians (health loss of between 34 to 41 DALYs per 100 000 population). The findings suggest that government policies need to actively pursue land-use elements (particularly a focus towards compact cities) that support a modal shift away from private motor vehicles towards walking, cycling, and low-emission public transport. At the same time, these policies need to ensure the provision of safe walking and cycling infrastructure. The findings highlight the opportunities for policymakers to positively influence the overall health of city populations.