Public health outcomes, like long life spans, result from a built environment that encourages movement.

Andrew Merle explains the advocacy action behind Blue Zones, the places in the world where people live the longest. Blue Zones is also the name of an organization that promotes the characteristics of these five places around the world: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
To get a more complete picture of the Blue Zones concept, and what makes these places so healthy, Merle interviews Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder and National Geographic fellow. The big idea behind the article, and the entire Blue Zones concept: "in all five Blue Zones, people do not proactively exercise or seek health. Instead, physical activity just happens naturally as a result of their surroundings."
Blue Zones, the organization, is working with U.S. cities to improve bikeability and walkability, but most of the country still has a long way to go to overcome the car-centric planning that has produced a most sedentary populace. In its most recent initiative, Blue Zones, the organization, is partnering with Degree Deodorant to create the Made To Move grant program, which "will provide half a million dollars in funding for city projects that promote increased physical movement."
FULL STORY: FORGET DIET AND EXERCISE—FOR BETTER HEALTH, WE NEED BETTER CITIES

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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