Study: Active Commutes Correlate to Positive Public Health Outcomes

Entering the fray in a fraught, ongoing debate about the health impacts of urban living, a new study finds that “people tend to be healthier in cities where walking and biking are more prevalent.” Angie Schmitt reports on the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2014 Benchmarking report, which “compiled active commuting rates in the 50 largest American cities as measured by the U.S. Census. Then it compared that data with health information from the CDC. On health outcomes like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, a pretty clear correlation emerges.”

“About 9 percent of Americans have diabetes, but the incidence varies greatly between different places. Diabetes tracks closely enough with walk and bike commute rates that the Alliance and other researchers have concluded there’s a strong correlation.”