Episode 50: Episode 50: Health and Economic Benefits of Walkability
From REDESIGNING CITIES: The Speedwell Foundation Talks @ Georgia Tech by School of Architecture, Ellen Dunham-Jon
April 6, 2026 · 1h 12m · Season 7 · Episode 50
About this episode
The episode discusses the health and economic benefits of walkability with insights from Dr. Lawrence Frank and Yilun Zha.
Does driving make you fat? Does taking transit make you thin? Are you likely to be healthier in a city with small blocks or big blocks? Are you less likely to get diabetes if you live near a park? Do you breathe more pollutants in heavy traffic on a bike or in a car? What urban form is healthier when you’re a teenager or a senior? Are you likely to have more friends if you live in a walkable neighborhood? What health-related economic benefits do you receive from walkability, bikeways, and greenways? How do you measure these things? One of the most cited scholars in the world, Dr. Lawrence Frank coined the term walkability and has been answering such questions for three decades. After sharing the state of the evidence linking built and natural environment features with health and economics, he and Yilun Zha discuss the findings’ impacts on cities and public health.
People in this episode
Guests: Yilun Zha, Dr Lawrence Frank
Topics covered
- walkability
- health
- economics
- urban design
- public health
Keywords
- urban form
- bikeways
- greenways
- diabetes
- pollutants
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