Researchers Work Toward Predictive Models for Future Urban Design

A major study out of Oxford University and the University of Hong Kong concludes living in cities and more dense areas may be a healthier choice than living in the suburbs.

The survey data shows that people living in areas above an 1,800 units per kilometer density threshold have a roughly 10 percent lower chance of being obese. Fast Company reports it includes inner cities where people are more likely to live in apartment blocks and smaller terraced homes, where walking to work, socialize, and shop are normalized.

The research is part of an emerging field that aims to bring scientific rigor to the urban planning-health question. Urbanists will often say that cities are better for walking cycling and that sprawl, of the type seen in many newer American cities, is bad for us ... While the U.K. data suggests a strong relationship, other cities will vary based on its exact layout and the health predisposition of inhabitants.

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