A study reveals that the density of city blocks is a significant factor in communities’ walkability and, subsequently, improved public health outcomes for residents.
New research affirms the connection between walkable communities and improved health outcomes for residents, reports Emilio Perez Ibarguen in Great Lakes Echo.
Researchers from Michigan State University wanted to understand the more specific factors that impact public health to better inform policymakers. Of the four factors that typically define walkability — size of blocks, proximity to transit stops, variety of business types, and variety of zoning types — “The density of street intersections – corresponding closely to the size of blocks in the area – had the greatest impact on obesity.”
The study also found that factors unrelated to urban design, such as socioeconomic status and race, had more significant impacts on health than walkability.
The article includes information about Michigan cities that are working to improve their walkability and make their streets safer for pedestrians. The small Detroit enclave of Hamtramck, population 28,400, is the most walkable in the state. While its small size is an advantage, the town has also taken actions such as allowing mixed-use buildings. But a lack of transit connectivity to bigger cities and other regions can stifle the potential of small towns, where people remain dependent on cars for transportation outside the city.
FULL STORY: Walkable communities associated with better health, study shows
Seattle Creates 4 ‘Low-pollution Neighborhoods’
The pilot program is designed to reduce air pollution and increase access to transit and safe walking and biking infrastructure.
Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity
When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.
Take a Walk: Why Step Count Is the Most Valuable Fitness Metric
Step count remains the most valuable fitness metric for longevity and well-being, offering a simple yet powerful way to track daily movement, reduce health risks, and promote active lifestyles without reliance on complex data or technology.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Guerilla urbanists are building DIY bus stop benches in Chicago
A before-and-after of one of the bus stops with a new bench. The new benches are not officially sanctioned or permitted, but the residents who placed them hope they will be the start of a network of DIY benches across the city.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association