Suburbia can kill you.
Kari Chisholm
A new study, by the Rand Corp and published in Public Health, finds that living in high-sprawl suburbia adds four years to your life ages you four years and makes you sick. (Thanks, Anne!)
The researchers compared the sprawl index to a phone survey that asked about sixteen different health problems - like asthma, arthritis, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Turns out, there's a high correlation between sprawl and physical sickness.
Good thing for Portlanders: Of the 38 metro areas studied, we scored fourth-lowest - behind New York, San Francisco, and Boston.
So, Tom McCall was right. Sprawl is a bad thing. A very bad thing. Push play on the video.
Here's to the Urban Growth Boundary. Vote No on 37. Join the Coalition for a Livable Future.
Thanks to 1000 Friends for the video link.
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Sep 28, '04
"Adds four years to your life" makes it sound as though a life lived in suburbia extends one's lifespan by 4 years. That would be a good thing...
I would suggest a clearer summation of the study findings would be "prematurely ages one by an average of four years." (EEECCKKK Wrinkles and arthritis! now that would be a bad thing! :-))
Sep 28, '04
I wonder if that applies to those of us who live in the city but must commute to the suburbs. I do feel as if a little life gets sucked out of me every time I get onto Highway 26 (and no, there is no MAX or busline access to my place of work.)