A survey finds that increasing numbers of Americans did not participate in any physical activities in the last year. At least one feature of the build environment—access to school gyms—is blamed.
"The number of Americans who were 'totally sedentary' last year rose to its highest level since 2007," reports Sara Germano. The dispiriting statistic is a finding of a recent survey by the Physical Activity Council, released this week.
"Roughly 83 million Americans age 6 and over, or about 28% of the population, reported that they did not once participate in any of 104 specific physical activities in the last calendar year," according to Germano's explanation of the survey findings. "The number of totally sedentary Americans has risen 18% since 2007, while the percentage of the total inactive population age 6 and over has grown by three percentage points over the same period."
The article goes on to point out some of the direct correlations claimed by the survey, including physical education at schools. According to Germano, "the council are concerned that decreasing minutes for gym in schools is a chief contributor to rising levels of inactivity among adults."
Jennifer Larino also covered the results of the survey for the Times-Picayune, for those unable to access the original article, which is behind the Wall Street Journal paywall. A press release on the Physical Activity Council's website and the full report [pdf] are also available for finding out more information about the study.
FULL STORY: American Inactivity Level Is Highest Since 2007, Survey Finds
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.