Sickening Sprawl

Today, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that, "Suburban sprawl [is] sickening". While this may not come as a surprise to many readers, a study by Rand Corp. found that, "people in high-sprawl regions have more health problems such as diabetes, breathing difficulties, migraine headaches and high blood pressure...[and] that living in a high-sprawl area has the equivalent effect on your health as aging four years."

While the study does not determine the causes of these results, researchers, "cited an earlier study that found people who live in high-sprawl areas walk less, weigh more and have a higher rate of high blood pressure."



Additionally, the author of the Sun-Times piece puts his spin on the findings, indicating that Chicago has an above-average "sprawl index",* with areas like Atlanta, Detroit, West Palm Beach and San Bernardino suffering the worst sprawl.

Regardless, Chicago's outer suburbs are sprawling and alternative developments, growth regulations/restrictions, or some other mechanism may need to be enforced to help in what is now being told to the public is a health problem. Hopefully this study will be a slap in the face for developers, the local governments, and other parties who perpetuate sprawl and will be a step towards creating healthy and sustainable communities for those who choose to live outside cities.

*Update 09.28: Chicago's sprawl index, according to the article, is 121.2. A higher number indicates less sprawl than a lower number.