Where matters: Study shows positive health outcomes in walkable, park-rich neighbourhoods

0 People who live in walkable neighbourhoods are 39 percent less likely to have diabetes than those in car-dependent areas. Residents in these complete communities, which have a median housing density of 60 units per acre or 0.4 hectare, are also 28 percent less likely to suffer from hypertension. In addition, they are 23 percent less likely to develop stress than those in least walkable or car-dependent communities, which have a median residential density of five units per acre. These are some of the findings of groundbreaking research led by Larry Frank, a UBC professor and director of the university’s Health and Community Design Lab. The results of the study, titled Where Matters: Health and Economic Impacts of Where We Live , were presented in a report by Erin Rennie, a senior regional planner with Metro Vancouver. The West End neighbourhood of Vancouver, North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale, and the downtown area of New Westminster are examples of walkable neighbourhoods. The research also showed that people with the lowest incomes or those who earn less than $60,000 a year benefit a lot from living in walkable communities. Low-income earners are 51 percent more likely to achieve the recommended physical activity […]

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