• CNU Legacy team proposes Health District

    The Providence Community Health District envisions up to 2,000 new living spaces in a mixed-use neighborhood surrounding major health institutions.
    Less than a mile from downtown, the Providence Hospital District is one of the largest employers in the State of Rhode Island. It includes two major hospitals, associated medical facilities, and the Community College of Rhode Island. Embedded in Southside Providence neighborhoods, the district's...Read more

  • How in-city highways impact social lives and health

    Freeways reduce social connections between people in a city, and this has important health implications—which is another reason to replace highways with street grids when possible.
    What is the greatest threat to your health? Smoking cigarettes? Becoming an alcoholic? Physical inactivity? Becoming overweight? According to the CDC, it’s lacking social connections (see graph below). If you don’t have friends, family around you, or regular contact with other humans who can check...Read more

  • Living in a walkable place reduces dementia

    If you want to keep your marbles as you age—it pays to live in a place where you can walk, ride a bike, and move naturally.
    We should be planning and developing walkable neighborhoods for many reasons—rather than promoting car-oriented subdivisions, which have been the default method of outward city expansion for seven decades. New studies come out all the time, all pointing in the same direction—walkability benefits...Read more

  • Health and planning for quality of life

    In addition to heavy smoking and drinking, lack of social connections and physical activity are primary factors in dying sooner. The latter two deficits can be addressed by community planning focusing on quality of life and walkability.
    “Quality of life” is an elusive concept that people want in their communities but is often undervalued by planners because it is difficult to measure. However, there are clear ways that planners can boost quality of life, adding years to people’s lives and improving happiness, argues Todd Litman of...Read more