Mobilizing a Culture of Health in the Era of Smart Transportation and Automation

Abstract

A culture of health, in which good health and healthy lifestyles and environments flourish across geographic, demographic, and social sectors, is a critical focus of policy agendas today in relation to societal and community wellbeing. At the same time, automated vehicles, drones, sidewalk robots, and other “smart” technologies for mechanizing the movement of people and goods are ever‐more present features of communities worldwide. However, while there is increasing attention to the role of transportation in facilitating (or inhibiting) a culture of health, a robust and comprehensive examination of this subject in the context of growing automation is relatively absent. We examine possible effects of transportation automation on health and community wellbeing, considering smart technological developments as a catalyst for cultural change, while providing an overview on direct and indirect impacts of smart transportation on health across different societal contexts and groups. Directions also are offered for future research and practice, with an emphasis on the need to translate evidence into action as it relates to automated transportation and a culture of health.