The place where somebody lives matters for their physical well-being. Even within the same country, residents of different cities can have on average better or worse health, partly due to policies their city governments have adopted. Consider life expectancy in Latin America. The gap between the highest and lowest life expectancies in urban areas of Argentina, Chile, … [Read more...] about What Can City Governments in Latin America Do to Improve Public Health?
#pollution
The Unequal Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Income in Mexico City
Perched 7,300 feet above sea level in a valley wrapped round by mountains and volcanoes, Mexico City has long suffered from thick layers of smog produced by cars, factories, and wildfires. Among the worst hazards of that air pollution for its 21 million inhabitants is PM 2.5, inhalable fine particulate matter. People exposed to PM 2.5 can suffer from coughing, shortness of … [Read more...] about The Unequal Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Income in Mexico City
Do Air Pollution Alerts Work to Change Behavior and Reduce Exposure?
The World Health Organization calls air pollution the number one environmental threat to health in the Americas. More than 60,000 people in Latin America died prematurely from exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone in 2010. And with an increasing number of vehicles on the region's roads, lax or non-existent emissions standards, and more frequent wildfires, the number of … [Read more...] about Do Air Pollution Alerts Work to Change Behavior and Reduce Exposure?
China’s Dockless Biking Boom and the Lessons for Latin America
They have set off a surge in bike riding, sparked explosive investment, and helped cut air pollution and carbon emissions. But the "dockless" -- or stationless -- bikes that have transformed China's cities also have come with significant social and economic costs. As Latin America prepares to embrace them, it would do well to take heed. That day is coming sooner than later. … [Read more...] about China’s Dockless Biking Boom and the Lessons for Latin America
Tackling Crime and Pollution Together
Crime represents a major concern for Latin Americans. Increasingly, so does pollution. It is unusual, though, to consider relationships and tradeoffs between them. Yet these are precisely the issues explored by Visiting Scholar Paul Carrillo and his George Washington University colleagues Arun Malik and Andrea López in a recent study for the IDB. The authors took as their case … [Read more...] about Tackling Crime and Pollution Together