Living near a park can reduce the risk for myocardial infarction, while exposure to outdoor air pollution increases it. There is evidence associating chronic exposure to traffic noise and weight gain. In 2014, more than one thousand people died in the São Paulo's traffic. However, recommending that people stay home with the windows closed is unfeasible. The adoption of healthy habits is aided or hindered by the man-made environment and by how the city is organized. Moreover, some risk factors for disease, such as exposure to air pollution, are beyond individual choices and call for governmental actions. In this paper, we discuss features that may aid or hinder the promotion of health in the city, based on a framework proposed by Rydin et al. (2012).
Health; City; Man-made environment; Public policies