Marcus Butler
15 April 2016: The design and layout of our cities may be a critical factor in encouraging people to be more active, according to an article co-authored by a University of Canberra health expert.
Director of the Health Research Institute Rachel Davey contributed to research from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, investigating the links between neighbourhood design and active lifestyles.
The article appearing in the latest edition of The Lancet, a prestigious British health journal, details the results of the International Physical Activity and Environment Network Adult Study, which included 6,822 adults aged 18-66 from 14 cities in 10 countries.
“The research showed that on average people living in the most activity-friendly neighbourhoods undertook between 48 and 89 minutes more exercise than those in the least activity-friendly neighbourhoods,” Professor Davey said.
With physical inactivity responsible for many chronic diseases, the authors say that creating healthier cities is an important part of the public health response to reducing the global disease burden.
“This research indicates that good city design could contribute to improved physical activity levels around the world, which could in turn, reduce levels of obesity,” she added.
The study notes that high residential density generally means there are walkable streets connecting residents to nearby shops and services. Public transport encourages physical activity, as people walk to and from buses and trains, while public parks also give people places to walk to, or walk in.
Professor Davey said the low density suburban sprawl of many modern Australian cities tends to push us towards our cars and away from active travel and physical activity.
“It’s a challenging issue because cities are complex and develop over many, many decades and in different contexts. However, if we compare Australian cities with those in Europe, we find that European cities have higher density residential areas and more public transport, which means less car dependency.
“Hopefully, this study may push towards more research in Australia that will inform our urban planners around building cities that promote better health,” she said.
“More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas and in Australia it’s an even higher proportion, (about 90 per cent, according to the Bureau of Statistics) so this research makes a strong case for health to be central in city planning.”
