• Better  health: When people live closer to where they work and play, they tend to walk and cycle more in the course of meeting daily needs.  One study found that residents of walkable communities were more than twice as likely to get 30 minutes a week of physical activity than residents of neighborhoods without walkable features (6).

• Greater safety:  Less driving also translates into fewer accidents – a leading cause of death in America.  Vehicle accident rates are about four times lower in high-density urban neighborhoods than in lower-density suburbs (6).

• Stronger communities: Living closer together and spending more time in shared public spaces, people have more opportunities to meet others and build a stronger community.

• Improved quality of life:  People who don’t drive, including young people and many elderly people, can become stranded in neighborhoods that depend on cars. Green neighborhoods offer much more access to amenities and to other people.

References:

(6)  Ewing, Reid and Kreutzer, Richard.  2006.  Understanding the Relationship Between Public Health and the Built Environment.  U.S. Green Building Council.