A fast food ban enacted in 2008 in an effort to curb obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health issues failed to achieve its well-intentioned goals, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation.
"A Los Angeles ordinance designed to curb obesity in low-income areas by restricting the opening of new fast-food restaurants has failed to reduce fast-food consumption or reduce obesity rates in the targeted neighborhoods," according to a press release announcing a new RAND Corporation study. The study was published online by the journal Social Science & Medicine.
The press release describes the key findings that drive the report's conclusions: "A Los Angeles ordinance designed to curb obesity in low-income areas by restricting the opening of new fast-food restaurants has failed to reduce fast-food consumption or reduce obesity rates in the targeted neighborhoods…"
The press release includes a lot more detail about the study, including one bright spot, from a health perspective: the study found a drop in soft drink consumption, but the drop followed trends in other parts of Los Angeles.
Adrian Florido also reported on the study for KPCC. One conclusion of the study, as explained by Florido, is that "the ban on new fast food restaurants does nothing to increase options for healthier food. Nor does it address another major source of unhealthy food in South L.A.: small convenience stores."
FULL STORY: No Evidence That Los Angeles Fast-Food Curbs Have Improved Diets or Cut Obesity

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
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A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
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Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
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Mapping Sidewalks for Improved Connectivity
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Long Beach Residents Oppose Proposed Homeless Services Hub Near Rail Terminus
L.A. Metro’s “end-of-the-line” policy forces people experiencing homeless off transit every night at the same time and location. A proposed hub would provide services a few stops before the end of the line in Long Beach.

The Nation's Most Advanced Secessionist Movement
Legislation supporting the Greater Idaho Movement, which would annex over half of neighboring Oregon, has advanced in the Idaho legislature.
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.