Though research has been piling up on the adverse health impacts connected with driving long distances every day, it turns out that no matter how you travel to work, "having a job far from home can undermine health."
"Millions of Americans . . . pay dearly for their dependence on automobiles, losing hours a day that would be better spent exercising, socializing with family and friends, preparing home-cooked meals or simply getting enough sleep," writes Jane E. Brody. "The resulting costs to both physical and mental health are hardly trivial."
But such costs aren't just borne by Americans, or car commuters.
"Erika Sandow, a social geographer at [Sweden's] Umea University, found that people who commuted more than 30 miles a day were more likely to have high blood pressure, stress and heart disease," notes Brody. "Another Swedish study, directed by Erik Hansson of Lund University, surveyed more than 21,000 people ages 18 to 65 and found that the longer they commuted by car, subway or bus, the more health complaints they had. Lengthy commutes were associated with greater degrees of exhaustion, stress, lack of sleep and days missed from work."
FULL STORY: Commuting’s Hidden Cost
The Harms of a Car-Centric World
While most of the world’s population doesn’t drive, cars have an outsized negative impact on public health, the environment, and land use.
L.A. Metro Plans for an Equitable Recovery
The pandemic has forced difficult confrontations with inequities that existed long before the novel coronavirus. L.A. Metro planners are responding by charting a path toward a transportation system that reverses and improves those previous realities.
Ohio Invests $58 Million to Revitalize Brownfields and Boost Local Economies
This investment in brownfield remediation will clean up hazardous sites, foster economic development, and create jobs through 61 new projects across 33 counties.
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
Central Florida’s SunRail Plans Major Expansion
The expanded train line will connect more destinations to the international airport and other important destinations.
Las Vegas Golf Course to Become Over 1,000 Units of Affordable Housing
The project is part of an initiative to build affordable housing on shuttered golf courses.
Montreal Bike Share Breaks Ridership Record With 13 Million Rides
The Bixi system introduced a winter pilot project last year, leading to a rise in winter cycling.
Plugging the Gap: Taxpayers Shoulder the Burden of Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells
Taxpayers, federal agencies, and tribal governments are working to address Arizona's orphaned oil and gas wells, which pose environmental and health risks, while advocates call for greater accountability from oil and gas companies.
Future Floods in Focus: Using AI and Physics to Visualize Disaster Risks
MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that integrates physics-based models to generate realistic satellite images of future flooding, offering communities a powerful way to visualize and prepare for disasters.
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.
Los Alamos County
City of Culver City
Skagit Transit
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners