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Multiple Impacts of the Built Environment on Public Health: Walkable Places and the Exposure to Air Pollution

Author

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  • Lawrence D. Frank

    (School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ldfrank@interchange.ubc.ca)

  • Peter Engelke

    (Department of History, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., poe@georgetown.edu)

Abstract

While considerable attention has been paid to the public-health-related impacts of air pollution, relatively little research has been done to understand how other aspects of the built environment impact health. Americans are increasingly sedentary; erstwhile the rate of increase in obesity is alarming. New research suggests that increased auto dependence, and limited opportunities to walk for utilitarian purposes, has contributed to this emerging obesity epidemic. Within sociodemographic strata, land use patterns and transportation investments collectively shape the desire to walk, drive, or to travel via other means. Mixed use and more compact community designs show significant promise for the promotion of physical activity and the reduction of regional air pollution levels. Opportunities exist to increase physical activity and improve regional air quality through more compact development. However, increased compactness, or density, often exacerbates traffic congestion and can increase exposure of harmful emissions within central areas. Therefore, strategies to reduce localized air pollution in existing and developing centers are required to enable larger health benefits from smart growth to be realized.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence D. Frank & Peter Engelke, 2005. "Multiple Impacts of the Built Environment on Public Health: Walkable Places and the Exposure to Air Pollution," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 28(2), pages 193-216, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:inrsre:v:28:y:2005:i:2:p:193-216
    DOI: 10.1177/0160017604273853
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Cannuscio, Carolyn C. & Weiss, Eve E. & Fruchtman, Hannah & Schroeder, Jeannette & Weiner, Janet & Asch, David A., 2009. "Visual epidemiology: Photographs as tools for probing street-level etiologies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 553-564, August.
    7. Sagaris, Lake & Arora, Anvita, 2016. "Evaluating how cycle-bus integration could contribute to “sustainable” transport," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 218-227.
    8. Liang Ma & Corinne Mulley & Wen Liu, 2017. "Social marketing and the built environment: What matters for travel behaviour change?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(5), pages 1147-1167, September.
    9. Jingyuan Zhang & Puay Yok Tan & Hui Zeng & Ye Zhang, 2019. "Walkability Assessment in a Rapidly Urbanizing City and Its Relationship with Residential Estate Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Austin Boyle & Charles Barrilleaux & Daniel Scheller, 2014. "Does Walkability Influence Housing Prices?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 852-867, September.
    11. Wood, Lisa & Frank, Lawrence D. & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2010. "Sense of community and its relationship with walking and neighborhood design," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1381-1390, May.

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