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Shima Hamidi is a Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health at Johns Hopkins University and the Director of the Center for Climate-Smart Transportation, a federally funded university transportation center that focuses on the intersection of transportation, climate change, and public health. 

TK: What are your focus areas?

Hamidi: My research focuses on the intersection of public health, transportation, and climate change. We spend about 90% of our time outside our homes, in public spaces like parks, public buildings, transportation networks, and sidewalks. These spaces play a crucial role in our health and well-being based on how they are planned. Living in more remote, suburban areas, compared to more connected and accessible places, significantly increases the likelihood of being involved in a fatal car crash. It also reduces the chances of being physically active, such as walking or biking, leading to higher rates of obesity and chronic diseases associated with it.

Environmental factors like greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution are also influenced by how we shape our neighborhoods through land use, community design, and transportation planning. This ties into issues of equity and environmental justice, affecting how much we pay for housing and transportation. Low-income and minority communities often experience isolation in their neighborhoods, which impacts their life expectancy.

My research shows that living in a more accessible and connected neighborhood can increase life expectancy by an average of one and a half years. This improvement is significant when you consider that, according to the CDC, a cure for cancer would extend life expectancy by about two years. We can make similar gains in life expectancy by simply changing the way we approach transportation, land use, and community design. 

TK: What motivated you to pursue this line of work? 

Hamidi: The U.S. traffic fatality rate is four times higher than that of other developed countries. Aperson in the U.S. is four times more likely to be in a fatal crash than someone with the same income and demographic profile in a European country. And the situation is only getting worse.

When you look at life expectancy and the chances of upward mobility, we are not performing well compared to other nations. The U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other nation, yet our health outcomes are not reflective of this, we rank number one among developed nations for obesity and chronic diseases.

We need to start thinking about these connections to public health before it's too late, when people become burdened by chronic disease and enter the healthcare system. We must shift our focus to preventive measures. We need to look at all the factors that affect people's health and well-being over the course of their lives. Public health isn’t a priority when we make land-use decisions—it’s not even part of the conversation.

TK: What is the best approach in making this sort of work actionable and implementable into policy?

Hamidi: One of the biggest challenges right now is the disconnect between researchers and practitioners. For example, I recently worked on a study about climate action plans in U.S. cities. Almost all of the top 100 cities have climate action plans, and many have declared a state of climate emergency. However, more than 60% of these cities are failing to meet their short- and long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Why? Because there is often a gap between research and real-world action.

Our Center is dedicated to bridging that gap. Our mission is to conduct research that is actionable, practice-oriented, and ready for implementation. When researchers submit project ideas to us, the first filter we apply is how actionable the research is. We evaluate how closely it’s connected to practice and how likely it is to inform changes in current policies and practices that are unhealthy and unsustainable. We also require researchers to collaborate with at least three non-academic partners to help implement their findings after the project ends. Each project must have an implementation plan.

Every researcher must produce a two-page policy brief written specifically for policymakers. We focus on making our research easily translatable into policy and practice.

We’re fortunate to have partners like the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Bloomberg Philanthropies, who help us disseminate our findings to local governments, city planners, policymakers, and mayors. These partnerships help us ensure that our research is actively used to influence real-world policy. That's a priority for every single project we undertake at the Center.

TK: Can you cite specific examples where measurable impacts helped in vulnerable communities?

Hamidi: One example with notable equity implications involves addressing traffic fatalities and infrastructure in low-income and vulnerable neighborhoods. These areas often face higher traffic fatality rates and lack basic pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and even green spaces like trees. 

We recently released a study showing that wider lanes are more dangerous than narrower lanes, leading to more crashes and fatalities. We were overwhelmed by the interest from cities. We connected with over 20 communities at the state and local levels, all eager to implement lane narrowing and improve their street designs.

TK: What advice would you give to individuals who want to get involved?

Hamidi: First of all, when it comes to research, my number one piece of advice is to focus on partnerships. At our Center, we are always looking for partners, particularly from STEM fields. Research becomes actionable when it originates from real-world challenges faced by non-academic partners. They deal with these issues every day, and we, as researchers, can provide evidence-based information to help address them. By involving these entities in shaping the research questions and approach, we ensure that the findings are relevant and actionable.

Maintaining this collaborative spirit throughout the research process is essential. The completion of a research project should not be seen as the end but rather the beginning of the effort to translate findings into practical policies. Translation also relies on dissemination. We need to develop effective ways to share research results with policymakers and practitioners to ensure that the research can lead to tangible changes in policy and practice.

My second piece of advice is to have a voice in transportation decisions. There’s a disconnect between decision-makers and the voices of the community. 

It’s crucial to ensure that your voice is heard in local decision-making. Engage with your city council and representatives to express your needs and priorities regarding lifestyle and infrastructure. Often, underserved and low-income neighborhoods lack representation in these decisions. By speaking up, you help shape the focus of city priorities.

Finally, stay informed about local policies and projects that impact your community. Attend public meetings, provide feedback, and join local advocacy groups. Your involvement helps bridge the gap between community needs and policy decisions.

For organizations involved in making these decisions, it’s crucial to look at transportation and community design through the lens of health and equity. Too often, these decisions are made in isolation from the health impacts they have on people. We need to bridge that gap through more partnerships and collaborations.