Density is Good for Cities, But is it Healthy for Kids?

Phil McDermott looks at research from New Zealand that suggests that city life offers significantly fewer opportunities for children to get physical exercise, light and fresh air. The report comes from Penelope Carroll and Karen Witten of Massey University.

McDermott summarizes:

"Witten and Carroll suggest that traffic volumes, strangers on the street, and lack of outdoor play space mean that children in central city environments are likely to be confined indoors. And that raises the disadvantages of high density dwellings: insufficient space, internal noise, lack of natural light, lack of privacy, inadequate parking, inadequate indoor play space, and the potentially hazardous nature of balconies. Poor health outcomes is a major concern."