Our neighbourhoods strongly influence our health
Since John Snow mapped out the large cholera outbreak in 1854 to where people lived in London, it’s been known that where we live, work and play strongly influences people’s health. The way our cities and towns have been built plays a large role in many of the health conditions that Canadians develop.
Cities like Montreal and Vancouver have been working to create better cycling infrastructure and public transit, with the goals of improving the quality of life and health of their citizens.
It’s a good start, but is it enough?
We need a systemic collaboration between physicians, public health departments, developers and urban planners to help Canada design the cities we want – ones that can keep us healthy.