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Friday, June 16, 2006

The Human Condition

Posted by on June 16 at 16:42 PM

Density is the solution to everything. From the Vancouver Sun:

Last year Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation took aim at the popular myth that living in the country or suburbs is better for your health. The organization declared that the “suburban dream has gone sour,” releasing evidence that clearly showed that car-dependent Canadians get far less physical activity and are at greater risk of being overweight or obese… The closer you are to the corner store the more chance you will walk. Walking for non-work trips increased 19 per cent with each quartile increase in the number of retail establishments in the area, according to a King County 2005 study.
347048030_l.jpg Healthy density in Vancouver.

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Building more buildings, taller buildings in Seattle will bring better restaurants, hip nightlife and healthier residents. Build, build, build! You can't stop PROGRESS.

Like hell we can't! I'm calling the DPD on you--repeatedly!

vancouver is only like that because of laws that prohibit high rise buildings.

Uh, I like my feet on the ground, a lot of the time.

Beautiful, but what happens if there's a disaster and Vancouver needs to be evacuated? I see two roads out of town, and a moat. That's trouble.

What happens if there's an invasion and Vancouver needs to repulse a siege? I see only two roads into town, and a moat. That's brilliant.

Where are the battlements, watchtowers and walls? C'mon, Vancouver!

Okay, that said, I'm with Charles and the article on this one. Suburbia and driving promotes the sedantary lifestyle that leads to obesity and related health problems. This is similar to the problems we're seeing in our kids now that schools are cutting PE out of the curriculum. Take away the need to be active, and people just won't bother. People become inactive, people get out of shape.

All I know is that, while I don't eat much junk, I don't have that strict a diet. I don't work out at the gym, but I walk everywhere, carry my groceries home on foot, and take the bus when necessary, and I'm in pretty decent shape.

Once again: Density alone is not the cure of all evils. Smart density is the cure for all evils. Smart density involves density, public transportation, street-scaping, ground level retail, and on and on.

Great for Vancouver! Now if you only didn't require a trust fund to buy property in Vancouver these days...

I'd probably like Vancouver a lot more if their density hadn't started happening in the 70's. A lot of that town is just plain ugly.

Also, what Mr. Wilder said. Smart growth doesn't help me if I have to pay an assload of money for a place to live. The only way it benefits you is if you already own a place and your property value skyrockets.

Um, this picture is sort of like doing an aerial photo of Seattle between Royal Brougham and Mercer and pretending that's what the whole city looks like. There's a lot more to Vancouver than their equivalent of our CBD.

I second that, it is ugly. But you've gotta give them credit for all of that healthy activity, now only if their nightlife were a bit more interesting and cheaper. Not being able to get a double is ridiculous!

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