Can living in urban areas shorten life expectancy?

Alisha Alam | Jul 5, 2018, 16:55 IST
The University of Texas has conducted research which now states that living in an urban sprawl can affect your life expectancy in a negative way. Urban sprawls these days consist of low-density, monofunctional and car-dependent communities. As per the study, life expectancy, economic mobility, transportation choices, safety and personal health all improve in less crowded and sprawling areas.



This has also been proved by a study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). They found that hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, cholesterol and abnormal increase in the levels of fats were all more predominant in people living in crowded cities.



“Alternatives, like the green building movement, have to become society’s staple and not the exception. People who live in poorer socioeconomic areas often have to overcome more adversities, like greater travel times just to get to work, school or the grocery store,” said researcher Shima Hamidi. Well, it looks like we need a lot more space to live comfortably in. Stay tuned for more updates.

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