Commuters in Atlanta collectively drive further than a round trip to the sun and back – each day. Professor and author Lawrence Frank points to that example as the reason "why we're having an energy and environmental crisis today" – and why Americans are overweight and experience a number of health problems. It all comes down to how we get around.
Speaking to an audience of more than 100 people in the Metro Council chamber early Friday morning, Larry Frank, chair of Sustainable Transportation at the University of British Columbia and senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, shared research connecting how we design our communities to the health of community members. Basically, cities and neighborhoods that don't have easy and safe access to walking, biking or taking transit mean that people have to drive. Spending more time in cars leads to increased obesity and health problems – which present hidden costs for everyone in society.
Fast facts
A slice of pizza contains enough calories (or energy) to fuel a bicyclist for 10 miles, a pedestrian for 3.5 miles, or a car to travel 100 feet. "Do we really need a ton of steel to get a loaf of bread?" asks Dr. Larry Frank.
Transit users are three and a half times more likely to get the daily recommended amount of exercise.
On average, every additional hour spent daily in a car increases the likelihood of obesity by six percent.
Frank suggested two policy solutions – both sure to be controversial in some circles. First, he advocates moving the costs from the end effect of the cycle (increased health care) up to the beginning of the cycle by investing that money in better land use and transportation systems. Making it easier for people to get around under their own power will result in more exercise, less obesity and fewer health problems, Frank says.
Second, he asserts that our current auto insurance practices are the opposite of what they should be, because they encourage more cars and more driving. "Implementing pay-as-you-drive insurance might be the single most effective health-based measure we could undertake," states Frank.
Frank has been studying the effects of neighborhood walkability on travel patterns and sustainability for nearly 20 years. He has lead or co-authored dozens of papers and two books, including his latest, Health and Community Design: The Impact of the Built Environment on Physical Activity. He and his colleagues have also been conducting detailed assessments of fuel consumption and climate change impacts of urban form policies.