Blogs Dec 10, 2010 at 10:44 am

Giving City Dwellers Something (More) to Feel Smug About

Cienna Madrid
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Comments

1
And the worst idea for efficient non-obese citizens?

Yup, you guessed it, it's spending your scarce tax dollars on limo-enabled golden vanity projects like the Stuff it, Tax Payers (STP) bid for the Deeply Boring Tunnel (DBT) replacement for the much more functional (and cheaper) Viaduct.

Best of all would be a tear-down replacement with a surface road, but that would create only 50 percent more local jobs than the DBT, whereas a rebuilt Viaduct would create 100 percent more local jobs for half the price.

Got Fat?
Will in Seattle on December 10, 2010 at 10:51 AM Report this
2
Well, yeah! I grew up in the city, and walked everywhere, school, after-school job, friends' houses, corner store. We only used the car about once a week to go to the big grocery, never had a weight problem, nor did any of my friends. Move to an acreage in Alberta, have to drive *everywhere*...become intimately acquainted with the term "muffin top." Ew.
Canuck on December 10, 2010 at 10:58 AM Report this
3
I weighed 10 lbs less when living in Berlin, a very walkable, bike-rideable, transit friendly and car-unfriendly city. Gained it right back when I moved back to Lake Shitty. So, agreed.

And @1 - wrong thread. BTW, do you have a job?
wilbur@work on December 10, 2010 at 11:08 AM Report this
4
Cool. So when can we can start blowing up the suburbs?
Fifty-Two-Eighty on December 10, 2010 at 11:12 AM Report this
5
It's absolutely true and any of us who's lived in L.A. sprawl vs. Seattle density can testify.

I moved back to L.A. 3 years ago. Even in Long Beach which is a little more pedestrian and bike friendly i don't walk everywhere like I did in Seattle and I gained 20 lbs.

I miss Seattle's layout enormously.
on December 10, 2010 at 11:13 AM Report this
6
Science is starting to make the case that walking is an unexplored key to battling obesity? This level of science is so ridiculous.
cliche on December 10, 2010 at 11:25 AM Report this
7
This will be the hot topic at Oddfellows all afternoon.
gloomy gus on December 10, 2010 at 11:33 AM Report this
8
This NPR story is over 7 years old. Just pointing that out.
what_now on December 10, 2010 at 11:38 AM Report this
9
Um, duh?!
mpb on December 10, 2010 at 11:43 AM Report this
10
@3: Ditto. I gained around 15 lbs. the first month after I moved from NYC to West Seattle.

It's gone now, along with the other 35, thank g-d.
judgmentalist on December 10, 2010 at 11:55 AM Report this
11
Most people who live in cities do live in suburbs. City dwellers have nothing to be smug about. Since most people live in cities, cities are the problem.
Irena on December 10, 2010 at 12:13 PM Report this
12
Regardless of this info, don't city officials and urban planners already have a huge incentive for compact, walkable neighborhoods?

An apartment building brings in a heck of a lot more property taxes than a SFH. More people per acre means more tax revenue for smaller service areas. AND assuming more walking means less driving, that is less destruction to roads as well as less emergency service requirements.
JoshMahar on December 10, 2010 at 12:34 PM Report this
13
@11, I....what?
More, I Say! on December 10, 2010 at 12:39 PM Report this
14
@11 um, guy, the definition of a suburb is that it isn't in the city.

If you live in Bellevue or Seattle, you live in a city, no matter what your tax-subsidized rich neighbors in The Highlands told you.
Will in Seattle on December 10, 2010 at 12:45 PM Report this
15
Researches [sic] recently found a significant link...

And by "recently" you mean 2003, the date of this story.
bigyaz on December 10, 2010 at 1:15 PM Report this
16
@13, 14: Then why do we talk about "smart city planning" and "urban sprawl"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_spraw…

Will, Richmond BC is a city. Burnaby is a city. And everyone drives everywhere. They are good examples of urban sprawl.

I don't see what's so difficult to get about this.
Irena on December 10, 2010 at 1:17 PM Report this
17
@16 they have transit, n00b. In fact, they've even got light rail.

I used to work in Richmond, BC and lived in Burnaby, BC. They never were suburbs.

At least not since WW II.

Now, PoCo ...
Will in Seattle on December 10, 2010 at 1:56 PM Report this
18
@17: Scarborough, Ontario also has transit. Are you saying Scarborough is not an example of suburban sprawl?

On second thought, don't answer that.

And thanks for making my point for me about Richmond and Burnaby. Here's Wikipedia's example of "a typical Richmond home":
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co…

Irena on December 10, 2010 at 2:30 PM Report this
19
Suburb vs. Urban is really completely useless, like 1st world and 3rd world. Parts of Seattle are less dense than parts of Renton. Maple Valley and Microsoft are employment centers just like UW and downtown Seattle. People live in Downtown Seattle and drive everywhere, and others live in Issaquah and don't own a car.
JoshMahar on December 10, 2010 at 2:32 PM Report this
20
The stupid thing is, there's probably a good argument to be made against my statement @11, but you're not going to be making it. So I'll check out now, if you don't mind.
Irena on December 10, 2010 at 2:34 PM Report this
21
Thanks Josh @19. That's kind of what I was getting at. Anyway, I'm abandoning you to Will. Best of luck.
Irena on December 10, 2010 at 2:38 PM Report this
22
Irena, I just didn't understand what you were trying to say with that sentence @11. I think the walkability factor is meant to be more applicable when people live in city 'hoods that are way closer together. I'm sure I'd want a car if I lived in the CD and had to walk ten blocks or more to get to a grocery store, but since I'm on the hill where everything I need is within a two-block radius, I don't need a car at all and end up doing a lot of walking and carrying of heavy things like groceries and cat litter. I notice that friends/family from areas where you typically drive to everything come and visit, they're always complaining and gasping like I'm making them walk a trail of tears...
More, I Say! on December 10, 2010 at 3:21 PM Report this
23
@17: The entire Washington, D.C., metropolis has transit, noob. You going to tell me that isn't sprawl???
bigyaz on December 10, 2010 at 3:45 PM Report this

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