A new study challenges the growing body of research linking suburban living to obesity -- citing that people's eating and exercise habits more likely dictate where they live, not vice versa.
"Don't blame your ballooning waistline on urban sprawl, say researchers at the University of Toronto.
Despite numerous studies that have blamed obesity on suburban living, researchers at the U of T, the London School of Economics and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain say people who are at risk of becoming obese choose to move to the suburbs because they prefer to drive, not walk."
The study tracked 6000 people for six years, monitoring their weight as they moved to/from dense or more sprawling communities.
"The results, according to the researchers, demonstrate that while people might move to different neighbourhoods, that change in their environment didn't necessarily affect their weight."
FULL STORY: Obesity, urban sprawl link questioned

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.

Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.

Milwaukee Announces 60 Traffic Calming Projects for 2025
The city has successfully reduced traffic deaths and aims to eliminate them completely within the next decade.

OKC Approves 7.2 Miles of New Bike Lanes
The city council is implementing its BikeWalkOKC plan, which recommends new bike lanes on key east-west corridors.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland