Build them and we will walk?
Nearly one in four people in the Atlanta area are exercise enthusiasts stuck in neighborhoods without sidewalks or other walking amenities, according to a study that illustrates a problem for many Americans.
Researchers said the findings point to the need for more exercise-friendly places to live.
"The bottom line is the built environment really does matter to health," said Lawrence Frank, a University of British Columbia researcher who led the study.
Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have sidewalks leading to nearby shops, restaurants or other destinations. They are built in a way that makes it easier to walk and get to buses and trains. Many are older neighborhoods, located in more urban areas.
Frank is among a group of scientists who have shown that people who live in walkable neighborhoods tend to weigh less than people who live in more isolated and car-dependent areas.
Americans are fat and unfit because our neighborhoods aren't walkable? Sure, I believe that. People can walk anywhere. I had an pedometer once and used it to calculate that I walk two miles a day just at work.
