Healthy cities start with public transport

China's extensive highway network and the millions of cars on roads attest to the country's rapid process of urbanization and modernization driven by economic growth. Unfortunately, while cars were invented to make travel easier and to give us more freedom, they have ultimately enslaved us as we face longer journey times, traffic jams and difficulty navigating the sidewalk among the many illegally parked cars.

To help us out of this logjam, "progress" too often dictates that even more roads be built, meaning more cars on the road and more time in traffic jams, ad infinitum. The physical and social infrastructure to support modern, people-friendly, public transit systems in China has yet to be fully developed.

That's why this week the World Health Organization China has been pleased to support China's Public Transportation Promotion Week, jointly organized by the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Security and All-China Federation of Trade Unions.