Sanjay Gupta Discusses Livable Cities

Correspondent/neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta, who has been tapped to fill the Surgeon General position by President-elect Obama, talks about 'livable cities' as they relate to climate change and public health.

1 minute read

January 8, 2009, 10:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Said Gupta, "Too many of our cities are built with an eye toward commerce, instead of health. As a result, we have parking structures instead of parks and roads instead of walkways. There are plenty of examples where you can do both. Healthier cities are successful cities. I would focus on increasing the amount of green space, because it is good for the earth and for our own bodies. I might buy thousands of bikes, paint them a really ugly color (so people wouldn't steal them...) and simply distribute them around a city. I would paint quarter mile markers on every walkway, so citizens could always have feedback on how far they are walking. I would also want to see urban gardens like they have in the south side of Chicago. Teaching my kids to garden would provide immeasurable rewards both for them and for their community."

Thanks to Gladwyn d'Souza

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 in WorldChanging

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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