Communting Kills!
The headline "IS YOUR COMMUTE A KILLER" in The Vancouver Sun on Wednesday, June 21st grabbed my attention. According to a recent report by Sightline, an environmental think-tank based in Seattle, suburbanites are less healthy than downtowners. It seems while us downtowners are biking/running/rollerblading the seawall and burning calories, the suburbanites are sitting in their cars commuting. As well due to this extra time in the car the suburbanites have a greater chance of being in a car accident. The density of our downtown communities is what is fostering this healthy lifestyle. Interesting, considering historically city life has usually been considered not as healthy as suburban living. Not so in Vancouver, we are a model of high density living where people are able to live, work and shop in the same neighbourhood. Of course this is attainable due to the increase in high rise high density development. So, while there are some that curse the glass boxes in the sky, in the long run it is making our city a more liveable and healthier home.