3 ms·

Urbanization certainly doesn't solve it.

humanrebar 7y ago
Agreed. People riding busses and trains for 10+ hours per week aren't exactly in better shape than people with equivalent car commutes.
- icsllaf 7y ago
  People living in sprawl and in nonwalkable places are more likely to be overweight, get less exercise, and spend less time walking https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2629517/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2629517/
  - humanrebar 7y ago
    I was talking about work life balance and discretionary time, not physical fitness. Also some people have physical abilities such that walking is not a valid lifestyle choice. For instance, two year olds. I'm pro-walkable spaces. But it's not across the board superior to other arrangements.
    - icsllaf 7y ago
      Normally walkability also correlates with density of both businesses and houses which also encourages people to live closer to where they work. Compare that to a business park in the middle of the suburbs which requires a long distance commute to reach it. > For instance, two year olds. Probably easier to push a child on a stroller through a walkable area than to put it in a car and drive to a location. Less time-consuming and better for the environment as well. As well as walkable spaces being better for the elderly who can't legally drive and the handicapped who can't legally drive as well.
clarry 7y ago
Agreed. Walking past random people on the sidewalk doesn't help any more than walking past random people in the supermarket (which you surely do even if you live and die by a car in the burbs).
- icsllaf 7y ago
  A supermarket is an area designed for one purpose only which is to buy food. Everything else is given an afterthought or no thought at all. Compare that to a plaza or street which is made to encourage human interactions with benches, tables, cafes, libraries, and quiet areas made for simply relaxing.
  - clarry 7y ago
    Not how it works IME but YMMV. When there are benches and tables, I see that they are sometimes used for socializing by groups of people who already know each other and decided to meet.

Agreed. People riding busses and trains for 10+ hours per week aren't exactly in better shape than people with equivalent car commutes.

icsllaf 7y ago
People living in sprawl and in nonwalkable places are more likely to be overweight, get less exercise, and spend less time walking https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2629517/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2629517/
- humanrebar 7y ago
  I was talking about work life balance and discretionary time, not physical fitness. Also some people have physical abilities such that walking is not a valid lifestyle choice. For instance, two year olds. I'm pro-walkable spaces. But it's not across the board superior to other arrangements.
  - icsllaf 7y ago
    Normally walkability also correlates with density of both businesses and houses which also encourages people to live closer to where they work. Compare that to a business park in the middle of the suburbs which requires a long distance commute to reach it. > For instance, two year olds. Probably easier to push a child on a stroller through a walkable area than to put it in a car and drive to a location. Less time-consuming and better for the environment as well. As well as walkable spaces being better for the elderly who can't legally drive and the handicapped who can't legally drive as well.

clarry 7y ago

Agreed. Walking past random people on the sidewalk doesn't help any more than walking past random people in the supermarket (which you surely do even if you live and die by a car in the burbs).

icsllaf 7y ago
A supermarket is an area designed for one purpose only which is to buy food. Everything else is given an afterthought or no thought at all. Compare that to a plaza or street which is made to encourage human interactions with benches, tables, cafes, libraries, and quiet areas made for simply relaxing.
- clarry 7y ago
  Not how it works IME but YMMV. When there are benches and tables, I see that they are sometimes used for socializing by groups of people who already know each other and decided to meet.