Abstract
Increasing motor vehicle use is now a major threat to the quality of urban life in many p arts of the world. Motor vehicles kill thousands of pedestrians and cyclists daily, disabling tens of thousands more. With rising road danger, everyday walking and cycling is declining in popularity and this may be a factor in the obesity epidemic, particularly in the Western world. Against this backdrop, it would seem appropriate that public health and health services are judged against the criterion not only of improving well-being but also of reducing inequality and preventing environmental degradation. (Author/publisher)