A new study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks America's healthiest counties. Environment, rather than access to care, is seen as the key element in determining health outcomes.
"Residents of the nation's least healthy counties die at twice the rate of those living in their states' healthiest counties, despite a major improvement in the rate of premature deaths, according to a national survey of county health statistics released Wednesday," reports Kelly Kennedy.
"The full implementation next year of the 2010 health care law could improve health statistics overall, experts say, but real change in health statistics can come only if Americans start eating better and exercising more," she adds.
"Though the law's provisions calling for preventive screenings and a doctor's advice for improved eating and exercise habits will help, [Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA] said, people will continue to suffer from preventable health problems if they can't find fresh produce or parks where they can exercise."
"The law 'may improve things, but it almost certainly won't affect the ratings,' said Jim Marks, director of the foundation's health group. 'Access to health care doesn't affect obesity.'"
FULL STORY: Habits, not hospitals, affect counties' health rankings

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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