Evidence from International Study Highlights Need for More Walkable Neighborhoods

A recent study done in fourteen cities across the globe shows evidence and highlights the need for more walkable communities.

Some of the main findings include:

• Residential density, number of public transport stops, number of street intersections and number of parks within walking distance were found to be the most activity-friendly characteristics of a neighborhood.
• Each of these activity-friendly characteristics was independently related to physical activity. The relationships with physical activity were also linear; for example, the higher the level of residential density, the higher the level of physical activity.
• Adults who lived in the most activity-friendly neighborhoods did 48 to 89 minutes more physical activity per week than those in the least activity-friendly neighborhoods. This difference is much larger than has been reported in other studies.
• The relationships between a neighborhood’s characteristics and the physical activity of residents were generally similar across diverse cities.
• Mixed land use and nearest public transit point were not, however, significantly related to physical activity levels.

Read the full brief at the following link: http://press.thelancet.com/IPENresearchbrief.pdf