Communities and individuals require access to goods, services, facilities and opportunities – basic needs are inter alia water, food, shelter, education, employment and health. Among those the health potentials of mobility interventions for people and particularly for the poor are probably least understood and explored. A recent SDC supported TransNet workshop concluded that mobility and transport could have both a positive and a negative impact on poor people’s health. Participants agreed that in order to optimise the health potentials of activities that improve mobility, the sector must thoroughly assess the knowledge gaps, make steps to share existing research and generate new knowledge to fill the gaps.