Medical studies show that certain urban designs can prevent or reduce many of the severe physical illnesses present in Quebecers. Would you like your environment to help protect you against these diseases? Click on the themes to discover the commitments you should ask your candidates:
- Protect me against lung disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cancer
- Protect me against drinking water-related illnesses
- Protect me against pesticide-related illnesses
- Protect me from heat stroke and climate change
- Always think about my health when doing projects in my neighborhood
Protect me against lung disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cancer
Commitment 12
Fight air pollution
In Quebec, air pollution causes 4,000 premature deaths per year40, about 12 times more than deaths from road accidents.41 In countries such as Canada, air pollution has been associated with 33% of cardiovascular disease, 16% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 12% of lower respiratory tract infections and 8% of respiratory cancers. 42 A Quebec study of over 1 million children showed that air pollution causes asthma in children. 43 The main air pollutants are fine particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone. In Quebec, the transportation sector alone is responsible for 62% of all air contaminant emissions, 44 which means that air pollution levels are often higher near busy highways and boulevards. Exposure to traffic increases the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) within one hour by 3 times.45 The economic value of the health impacts of air pollution is estimated at $30 billion per year in Quebec. 46 A modal shift to public transit, cycling and walking helps combat air pollution. Urban trees capture about 24% of air pollutants on average. 47
Targets
- Target 26: Aim for zero air pollution days in my neighborhood during the year (air pollutant levels below the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards 2025 of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment).
- Target 27: Prohibit highway construction within 300 m48 of my residence, my place of work or my children’s place of study.
- Target 28: Aim for an optimal canopy of at least 40% of the urbanized area following the lead of Toronto49 and the signatories of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities. 50
- Target 29: Introduce strong municipal bylaws to protect urban trees, including consideration of existing trees in defining building footprints, protective measures during construction and deterrent fines.
- Target 1: In urban centers, aim for every citizen to live within 500 m of a transit stop. 51
- Target 2: In urban centers, aim for two-thirds of urban trips to be made by walking, cycling or public transit by 2040, as in Vancouver. 52
- Target 3: Provide quality urban and regional public transit service by requiring a one cent per liter gasoline contribution from motorists. 53
- Target 4: Aim for every citizen to live within 300 m of a bike path, as in Barcelona. 54
- Target 5: Provide comfortable and attractive bicycle routes, including trees, shelters, street furniture, public restrooms, water fountains, etc., and map out locations of toilets and water fountains. 55
- Target 6: Aim to have a pedestrian route (sidewalk or marked pedestrian space) in front of every residence in urban areas. 56 57
- Target 7: Provide comfortable and attractive pedestrian routes, including trees, shelters, street furniture, public toilets, water fountains, dog waste dispensers, etc., and map out locations of toilets and water fountains. 58
Commitment 13
Fight noise pollution
Road transport noise is the main source of noise pollution in our Quebec cities.59 Studies have shown that exposure to transportation noise increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, 60 including high blood pressure61 in people with long-term exposure to high levels of traffic noise.
Target
- Target 30: Aim for zero noise pollution (noise pollution levels below the threshold levels recommended by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec). 62
Commitment 14
Green my city
People living in very green neighborhoods are more likely to be healthier than people living in concrete and asphalt neighborhoods. In fact, the scientific medical literature shows that an optimal canopy (the area of the city covered by the tops of trees) of at least 40% could reduce the prevalence of diabetes by about 14%, hypertension by 13%,63 obesity by 40%,64 asthma by 6%,65 cardiovascular mortality by 9%,66 pulmonary mortality by 10%,67,68 cancer mortality by 13%69 and premature general mortality by 10% to 20%.70 Urban trees protect against ultraviolet rays responsible for skin cancer.71 Automobiles occupy about 50% of the space in our cities.72 Investments in public transit, pedestrian and bicycle networks can free up space for people and greening.
Targets
- Target 28: Aim for an optimal canopy cover of at least 40% of the urbanized area, following the example of Toronto73 and the signatories of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities. 74
- Target 29: Introduce strong municipal bylaws to protect urban trees, including consideration of existing trees in defining building footprints, protective measures during construction and deterrent fines.
- Target 31: Adopt a Toronto-style shadow code. 75
Commitment 2
Improve public transportation services
Transit riders get about 50 more minutes of physical activity per week than motorists. This energy expenditure can reduce weight gain. Public transit7677, especially if electrified, helps reduce the air pollution 78associated with 33% of cardiovascular disease in our cities. 79
Targets
- Target 1: In urban centers, aim for every citizen to live within 500 m of a transit stop. 80
- Target 2: In urban centers, aim for two-thirds of urban trips to be made by walking, cycling or public transit by 2040, as in Vancouver. 81
- Target 3: Provide quality urban and regional public transit service by requiring a one cent per liter gasoline contribution from motorists. 82
Commitment 3
Expand cycling networks
Researchers in London have estimated that a shift from car travel to cycling and walking could reduce cerebrovascular disease by 10 to 18%.83 Other researchers have estimated for eleven cities in the mid-western United States that cycling for 50% of trips less than 5 miles would result in annual savings of US$8.7 billion per year due to improved fitness and reduced air pollution.84 The presence of trees, urban woodlands and other natural features, the safety of the routes and their interconnectedness encourage cycling. 85 86
Targets
Commitment 4
Expand pedestrian networks (sidewalks, trails, pedestrian streets)
American researchers have estimated that walking and/or cycling for 10 to 149 minutes per week can reduce the risk of diabetes by 32%.89 Attractive, tree-lined,90 comfortable, safe, continuous, interconnected pedestrian networks with destinations of interest in a dense urban fabric encourage walking.91 Moving to such neighborhoods can increase the amount of time you spend walking by 59%, just for fun! 92
Targets
- Target 6: Aim to have a pedestrian route (sidewalk or marked pedestrian space) in front of every residence in urban areas. 93– 94
- Target 7: Provide comfortable and attractive pedestrian routes, including trees, shelters, street furniture, public toilets, water fountains, dog waste dispensers, etc., and map out locations of toilets and water fountains. 95
Commitment 5
Develop a city of short distances
A short-distance city is a compact city where services and destinations are located close to citizens. By promoting walking, biking and public transit, a short distance city could reduce the number of years of disability associated with cardiovascular disease by 15%.96
Target
- Target 8: In urban centers, aim for all citizens to reside in a neighborhood with a Walk Score (https://www.walkscore.com) of at least 70 out of 100.97
Commitment 6
Develop interconnected green spaces close to citizens
A Quebec study has shown that the presence of green spaces near the place of residence can reduce the risk of cerebrovascular diseases by 11% and the risk of diabetes by 9%.98 Good-sized green spaces promote 30 minutes of physical activity per day by walking 2 to 2.5 km.99 Their interconnectedness promotes biodiversity, which, by its attractiveness to humans, encourages them to walk to discover it. 100
Targets
- Target 9: Aim for every citizen to live within 300 m of at least 0.5 to 1 hectare of green space. 101
- Target 10: Aim to have at least 12% of the land within the urbanized area and at least 17% of the total land area protected as natural areas by 2030. 102
- Target 11: Aim to have all natural areas, green spaces and riverfront parks interconnected by naturalized corridors, the simplest expression of which would be tree-lined streets.
- Target 12: Aim to substantially increase public access to lakes and rivers for waterfront cities.
Commitment 7
Take on our winter by promoting walking, cycling and the use of green spaces in all seasons
Physical activity can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 16% to 30%.103 And in women with breast cancer, exercise can reduce breast cancer mortality by about 40%.104 A Quebec physician specialist has found that many of her breast cancer patients who are active in the summer stop walking in the winter for safety reasons because the sidewalks on their street are poorly plowed, not de-iced or non-existent. The same is true of pedestrian paths, urban promenades or parks. In addition, in winter, toilets are often closed, public benches are not cleared of snow and, if paths are cleared of snow, they are not accessible on foot from residential areas. According to the specialist, in order to help Quebec women prevent or fight breast cancer, we must pay attention to these details. 105
Targets
- Target 13: Clear snow and maintain all sidewalks, pedestrian links, bike paths, park trails and street furniture free of snow and ice during the winter months.
- Target 14: Keep public washrooms open during the winter months.
Protect me against drinking water-related illnesses
Commitment 15
Reduce sewage overflows into waterways
Heavy rains cause sewage overflows into waterways, putting drinking and bathing water quality at risk. U.S. researchers have shown that more than half of all outbreaks of diseases that can be linked to drinking water occurred after heavy rainfall. The majority of these were cases of acute gastroenteritis.106 Impervious soils, i.e., the asphalt and concrete of our cities, cause rainwater to quickly run off into our sewer systems and cause overflows. Preserving wetlands, planting trees, creating rain gardens, designing parking lots with permeable materials, and building green roofs help retain rainwater and infiltrate it into the ground rather than entering sewer systems and waterways.
Targets
- Target 32: Adopt a sustainable stormwater management policy based primarily on green infrastructure. 107
- Target 33: Fully conserve wetlands within my municipality.
Protect me against pesticide-related illnesses
Commitment 16
Fight pesticide exposure
Occupational exposure to pesticides has been associated with an increased risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.108 Pesticides can enter drinking water through runoff into waterways.109
Target
- Target 34: Ban the use of all chemical plant protection products throughout the urbanized area, following the example of Paris and other cities.110
Protect me from heat stroke and climate change
Commitment 17
Fight heat islands
Heat waves can cause heat stroke, cardiovascular and respiratory problems and even death.111 12% of Quebecers seek medical attention when it is hot enough to sleep poorly at night.112 Each heat wave costs approximately $55 million in medical care in Quebec.113 Mineralized surfaces increase air temperature, which is why they are called heat islands. Heat islands are more prevalent in some neighborhoods and are often linked to socio-economic disadvantage.114 The shade provided by street trees can reduce the temperature felt by 12 to 22oC.115
Targets
- Target 35: Achieve zero heat islands for residential, school or work environments by prioritizing socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
- Target 28: Aim for an optimal canopy cover of at least 40% of the urbanized area, following the example of Toronto116 and the signatories of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities. 117
- Target 29: Introduce strong municipal bylaws to protect urban trees, including consideration of existing trees in defining building footprints, protective measures during construction and deterrent fines.
- Target 36: Remove any minimum number of parking spaces per dwelling unit118 from the by-law and impose a maximum number of parking spaces.
- Target 37: Reduce large surface parking lots by requiring the construction of underground or multi-story parking lots.
- Target 38: Require the application of BNQ 3019-190 on surface parking lots.
- Target 39: Mandate green or white roofs, as adopted by the City of Toronto and several Montreal boroughs, for flat or low-slope roofs.119,120
- Target 31: Adopt a Toronto-style shadow code. 121
Commitment 18
Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change
Climate change is having a significant impact on the health of the population. An Ouranos study estimates that there will be more than 20,000 additional deaths caused by an increase in temperature in the next 50 years in Quebec. 122
Targets
- Target 40: Aim for a reduction of at least 37.5%, and preferably at least 55% (https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2030_en), in GHG emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. 123
- Target 41: Aim to have all public transit and vehicles in the city electrified. 124
- Target 2: In urban centers, aim for two-thirds of urban trips to be made by walking, cycling or public transit by 2040, as in Vancouver.125
- Target 3: Provide quality urban and regional public transit service by requiring a one cent per liter gasoline contribution from motorists.126
- Target 42: Divest from fossil fuels (municipal employee pension fund, municipal investments).
- Target 43: Eliminate fuel oil and other non-renewable fossil fuels as energy sources for municipal buildings.
- Target 8: In urban centers, aim for all citizens to reside in a neighborhood with a Walk Score (www.walkscore.com) of at least 70 out of 100. 127
- Target 44: Make all new construction carbon neutral by 2030, building on the City of Vancouver’s strategy. 128
- Target 45: Ban lighting in public buildings, store and exhibition windows between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., and in offices one hour after the last employee leaves, using France as a model. 129
- Target 46: Adopt a travel management policy that promotes sustainable mobility for the municipality’s employees, including a teleworking policy.
- Target 47: Evaluate the feasibility of integrating renewable energy (e.g. solar, geothermal) into all new municipal building projects.
- Target 48: Use urban trees to reduce heating and cooling needs of buildings. 130
- Target 49: Fight overconsumption of energy by banning disposable plastic bags, charging for drinking water and waste materials, and promoting the circular economy.
Always think about my health when doing projects in my neighborhood
Commitment 11
Conduct a health impact assessment131 on significant projects in a living environment
The way a neighborhood is developed has a major impact on the health of residents and health care costs.
Targets
- Target 23: Conduct a health impact assessment for any significant project in my neighborhood such as the extension or addition of a roadway, the destruction of a green space, the massive cutting of urban trees, the installation or expansion of a polluting industry, etc.
- Target 24: Choose design options that support my well-being and health and reduce health care costs.
- Target 25: Inform the public about the features and benefits of healthy urban design.