Transit investment choices wellbeing study for TransLink

Happy Cities created set of evidence-based observations and recommendations for harnessing the power of transit to make Metro Vancouver a more equitable, healthy, and socially connected region.

A train moves along an elevated track with modern high-rise buildings in the background. — The SkyTrain in downtown Vancouver. Photo: Michael Chu / Flickr

Transportation affects more than just how people move from one place to another. Decades of research from cities around the world reveal that transit spending decisions have deep impacts on people’s lives—including on their health and happiness.

Happy Cities worked with TransLink, the regional transportation authority for Metro Vancouver, to conduct research on and identify the wellbeing tradeoffs associated with investing in different types of transportation. Specifically, we explored the benefits and drawbacks of different types of transit investment strategies, with a focus on how alternative transportation choices will likely shape neighbourhood growth, development, and land use change.

The result is a set of evidence-based observations and recommendations on how to harness the power of transit to make Metro Vancouver a healthier, more equitable, more socially connected region. This report informed the development of the TransLink 2050 strategy, which was approved in January 2022 by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and the TransLink Board of Directors.

More detail on the links between wellbeing and transit:

Our report examined three dimensions that are crucial to wellbeing, informed by extensive, interdisciplinary research and Happy Cities’ wellbeing framework:

A graphic showcasing benefits to community health, opportunity, and unity from walkable, cycle-friendly, and accessible transit.

From a wellbeing lens, we analyzed the potential impacts of different types of transit on local neighbourhoods. Looking at different options including SkyTrain, Light-Rail Transit (LRT), and local bus routes, we identified how transit investment may contribute to land use change, and make it easier or more difficult for local residents to live healthy lives and access the services they need.