This analysis indicates that children tend to be healthier and more successful growing up in compact neighborhoods where residents frequently walk and bicycle, drive less at lower speeds, have affordable housing and travel options, are integrated by income and background, and have sufficient parks and greenspace. [...] A growing body of research indicates that children tend to be healthier and more successful if their families live in compact, multimodal neighborhoods where residents frequently walk and bicycle, drive less at lower speeds, have affordable housing and travel options, are integrated by income and background, and have sufficient parks and greenspace. [...] For example, a street designed to maximize traffic speeds is less walkable and bikeable than one designed to maximize multimodal travel and safety, and a neighborhood designed for single-family housing is less affordable and accessible, and therefore less diverse and inclusive, than if more compact housing types are allowed. [...] Active travel tends to increase in communities that have better walking and bicycling networks, narrower streets with less and slower vehicle traffic, compact and mixed development so more services and activities are within walking and bicycling distances, better public transit, and TDM incentives to reduce driving and increase non-auto travel. [...] 8 Local Policies for Children’s Health and Success Victoria Transport Policy Institute Traffic Safety Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury to children and their loved ones, and traffic risk discourages active travel and therefore children’s mobility, so increasing traffic safety can improve children’s health, opportunity and independence (Tavakoli, et al.
Authors
- Pages
- 32
- Published in
- Canada
Table of Contents
- Abstract 1
- Introduction 2
- Why Changes are Justified 3
- Crime maps such as this imply that crime risk is much higher in cities but such evidence does not actually prove that people are safer in suburbs than cities. 4
- Rural Urban 5
- Measuring Sprawl density mix roadway connectivity centricity 6
- Equality of Opportunity Project economic mobility 6
- Key Research Findings 7
- Physical Activity and Fitness 7
- Universal design 8
- Traffic Safety 9
- Youth 10
- Total 10
- Pollution Exposure 11
- Affordability and Economic Resilience 12
- Affordability Economic resilience HT Affordability Index 12
- Economic Opportunity and Mobility 14
- Economic opportunity Economic mobility Opportunity Atlas Social Capital Atlas 14
- Health Behaviors 15
- Mental Health and Happiness 20
- Summary of Childrens Health and Opportunity Impacts 21
- Policy Analysis 22
- Many local policies recommended in this article help achieve multiple community design objectives. 22
- Conclusions 25
- References 28
