The Intersection of Health and Urban Planning

Reporter David Ebner writes that there is "mounting research" connecting public health with the shape of cities:

"New research has found that cities designed for cars also foster obesity and diabetes. In studies from Atlanta to Vancouver, evidence shows that people who live in neighbourhoods that require cars to get around are fatter and less healthy than people who live near shops and grocers."

Ebner argues that urban planning used to be more connected with health, but over the decades got more obsessed with separating uses and planning for automobiles. Hancock says it takes a generation shift to change perceptions and policy.