Health Impact Assessment of Urban Air Quality Interventions
Summary
Health impact assessment (HIA) of urban air quality interventions evaluates how changes in policy, infrastructure and technology influence population exposure to pollutants and related health outcomes. This field integrates atmospheric modelling, epidemiological concentration–response functions and demographic data to estimate avoidable morbidity and mortality. Common interventions include traffic restriction zones, promotion of active travel, fleet renewal and emission standards. HIAs reveal spatial inequities, highlighting that deprived communities often bear the highest burdens of air pollution. Recent advances emphasise the need for holistic evaluations that span full exposure pathways—from emission reductions to ambient concentrations and resultant health benefits—to inform evidence-based urban planning and public health strategies.
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Health Impact Assessment of Urban Air Quality Interventions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in health impact assessment of urban air quality interventions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Health Impact Assessment (HIA): A systematic process to estimate the health effects of policies, interventions or projects on a population.
Low Emission Zone (LEZ): A designated urban area where the most polluting vehicles are restricted or charged to improve air quality.
Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP): Mixture of pollutants emitted by road vehicles, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, that contribute to urban air quality issues.
Concentration–Response Function: A mathematical relationship linking pollutant exposure levels to the probability or magnitude of health outcomes in a population.
References
- Urban policy interventions to reduce traffic-related emissions and air pollution: A systematic evidence map. Environment International (2023).
- Is vehicle scrapping affected by low-emission zones? The case of Madrid. Transportation Research Part A Policy and Practice (2023).
- Has the ultra low emission zone in London improved air quality?. Environmental Research Letters (2021).
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