Yacobi’s research is interdisciplinary, backed by theoretical knowledge from diverse fields such as development, urban studies, and geography. His approach to urban health is based on understanding how history, power, and structural inequalities interact to produce urban health disparities. His believes the study of urban health and the development of interventions in any urban context should look at the effects of urbanization on both physical and mental health and consider the role of urban forms and policies as foundation causes of racial and ethnic inequalities in health. His approach to urban health is contextual, referring to the interface between specific urban elements and their effect on the health of individuals and communities in cities.