![]() Moving away from car dependence is the “challenge the suburbs were never built for,” she told the crowd. The following are three major themes that revolve around suburban retrofitting that she addressed during her talk at the ULI Toronto symposium.Įllen Dunham-Jones (right center) with ULI Toronto Chair Rob Spanier (far right) and ULI Toronto Executive Director Richard Joy (far left)ĭecreasing Car Dependence in the Age of Driverless Carsĭunham-Jones described automobile dependence as the top challenge that she and coauthor June Williamson, professor of architecture at the City University of New York, were aiming to address when they published Retrofitting Suburbia. The talk highlighted themes discussed in her 2008 book, Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs, which have continued to resonate across a wider audience within the real estate industry. “But now after 50 years, we see an enormous list of unintended consequences.”ĭunham-Jones, professor of architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology, gained prominence for a 2010 TED Talk that addressed the challenges and opportunities posed by suburban redevelopment. “ were wonderful places when they were being built, and they helped a lot of generations of families achieve terrific quality of life,” Dunham-Jones told ULI members gathered for the inaugural ULI Toronto Emerging Trends and City Building Fall Symposium, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The study received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.At its essence, retrofitting suburbs is about transforming strip malls, sprawling subdivisions, big-box stores, and all the other spaces that Ellen Dunham-Jones calls “prototypical suburban property types” into more livable and sustainable places. Howell, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Toronto. The co-lead author of this study is Nicholas A. "Designing neighborhoods that have safe and effective public transit options, cycling infrastructure and walking paths may reduce traffic related pollution." ![]() "We need policies that promote healthier eating habits and opportunities to engage in active forms of transportation," said Booth. The paper also noted that air pollution and high concentrations of fast-food restaurants are risk factors for diabetes and can substantially reduce the benefits of living in a walkable neighborhood. In a population-based Canadian study, moving from an unwalkable to a highly walkable neighborhood was associated with a 54% lower likelihood of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Another study of 1.6 million adults found a 30% to 50% higher likelihood of developing diabetes among people living in low versus highly walkable areas. 53%.Ī study of 1.1 million adults with normal blood sugar levels found the incidence of pre-diabetes was 20% higher among people living in less walkable areas after 8 years of follow up. One large population-based study of 32,767 people found the prevalence of obesity among adults living in highly walkable neighborhoods compared to those living in low walkability areas was 43% vs. The researchers reviewed several studies on the built environment and their effects on public health and found walkable, activity-friendly cities and neighborhoods were associated with a lower risk of obesity and diabetes. "Shifting the transportation choices of local residents may mean that more members of the population can participate in physical activity during their daily routine without structured exercise programs." Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto and ICES in Ontario, Canada. ![]() Booth, M.D., M.Sc., of the University of Toronto, St. "The built environment can influence physical activity levels by promoting active forms of transportation, such as walking and cycling over passive ones, such as car use," said Gillian L. Human health is affected by the physical environments we construct. This environment includes buildings, neighborhoods, parks, bike paths, restaurants, shops, roads and public transportation. The built environment is the humanmade structures that provide people with living, working and recreational spaces. Researchers and policymakers have been searching for an effective way to promote healthy lifestyles at a population level to address these dual epidemics. Nearly half of the adults in the United States have obesity, and over 11 percent of the U.S.
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