Is Urban Sprawl A Health Risk?

"We are coming to the conclusion that land use, urban design andthe built environment are much larger factors in public health thanpeople have really appreciated...The suburban model is defined by highly segregated land uses: Homes are built on curvy, dead-end streets that feed into high-volume roadways leading to separate retail areas, typically malls fronted by parking. Walking is not only unpleasant, it's often dangerous....If a link between neighborhood characteristics and obesity is found, the research could be used to prod policymakers to encourage healthy neighborhood design."