Reflecting trends outlined in the CEOs for Cities City Vitals 2.0 report, new research is beginning to show the relationship between key signs of metropolitan health. According to the Center for Disease Control, connected cities—those that create more expansive alternative transportation networks that incorporate walking, biking, and public transit—have lower rates of obesity, even when controlling for income. Governing Magazine, using data from a recent CDC report, explains, “[C]ommunities where more residents walk or bike to work boast significantly healthier weights.” The CDC’s interactive tool also shows how population density within a state is connected to obesity rates, with less dense areas being more affected by obesity.
These findings have led the CDC to make a variety of transportation policy recommendations, including reducing car use, increasing bike infrastructure, and promoting Safe Routes to School programs. The CDC’s suggestions mirror many of the same ideas that make up the foundation of the Green Dividend, a CEOs for Cities research series that calculates the amount of money cities could save by reducing the number of miles individuals drive each day. Environmentally-conscious policy changes and more comprehensive transportation systems could also save cities money in healthcare costs, increase productivity, and reduce crime, all while making cities more attractive to businesses and families.
In order to maximize these “piggybacking” benefits from transportation initiatives, cities like Portland, Oregon have turned to the power of technology. The recently adopted “Portland Plan,” which, among other things, outlines the city’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by forty percent by 2030, may have unintended benefits, according to IBM’s new System Dynamics for Smarter Cities software. Slashdot reports, “After running the model, planners discovered a positive feedback loop: More walking and biking would lead to lower obesity rates for Portlanders.” City planners looking to pitch green initiatives could, consequently, add an array of health benefits to their proposals, giving their plans more efficiency and a greater range of benchmarks by which their success could be measured.
Faced with a deluge of literature outlining the many benefits of living in environmentally friendly areas, innovative cities are finding new ways to improve livability and to make their residents happier while reaping the economic and environmental benefits of going green. How is your city capitalizing on these connections?