by Carly Sieff

We have all heard ad-nauseum that obesity rates in the United States are increasing radically. But what has changed so dramatically in our lives to cause these rates to double in the past 50 years from 13% in 1962 to 26.1% in 2011 (CDC)? Trends in housing show that destinations are getting farther from origins, as houses move closer to the cul-de-sac and retail becomes part of a strip mall creeping towards the highway. Naturally then, streets have become more dangerous; they are filled with fast moving drivers, afraid to leave their automobile until they are safely pulled into the garage. The ‘low-hanging fruit’ of physical activity, that which was previously engrained in the walk and bike commutes of our daily lives, have practically disappeared for most of us. But I believe I am not alone is denying the need for 4 tons of sheet metal, a 200 horsepower engine, requiring a 180 square foot parking space and emitting 425 grams of CO2 just to get me a mile down the block. If only we could recreate the land use and transportation network of the city and its travel preferences before drive-thrus and strip malls. ...

Dan writes:

In the United States, there's a phenomenon of "fat cities" and "thin cities" - cities and regions where obesity is prominent, and those where it's rare. While some cities may be "fat" due to climate, culture or poverty, or "thin" because of a dense, walkable environment, it seems like some "thin cities" are self-selecting for a fit population. Denver and Boulder, for example, which attract thousands of new residents every year, drawn to the ski slopes, trails and "fourteeners" as much as a new job. Nothing is stopping an obese person from moving to Denver, or a thin person from moving to Houston, a city often cited as having a high percentage of obesity. Still, for a fit mountain-climbing, back country-skiing, triathlon-competing type, Denver is far more likely to be on their short list than Houston. If those who are sedentary, a natural environment and climate conducive to outdoors recreation aren't going to be must-haves, and they'll be less likely to seek out a place like Denver. I don't think obese people self-select to Houston because of a thriving restaurant scene and low grocery prices. It's just that the mountains probably don't matter as much to them, and the outdoorsy crowd really isn't flocking there. ...

by Erin Chantry

s you may know, the CNU20 conference was organized around tracks, which allowed you to focus on your particular interest and how it relates to New Urbanism. I spent most of my time on the "Mobility and Walkable City" track since that is where my concentration lies. There is no doubt that the best breakout session of this track was "Why Did We Stop Walking & How Do We Start Again? The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City" presented by Eric Dumbaugh, Richard Hall, and Peter Norton. ...

The Seaside Research Portal at the Notre Dame School of Architecture includes historic documents and interactive maps that show the evolution of Seaside from a concept to the iconic development that would spark the New Urbanism movement.

The site provides an academic and thorough resource to study the history, design, plan, code, and architecture of Seaside. It also functions and a virtual archive. The project is comprised of the archives from Seaside, plan and code documents provided by Duany, Plater-Zyberk and Company, and archival material from the architects who built Seaside. ...