Benefits of Compact, Mixed Use Development

This report explores the relationship between urban form and obesity. It uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Confidential Geocode Data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 against a representative panel of 6,000 other individuals to track each individual’s weight and address. To determine compactness, the authors looked at 30-meter resolution overhead imagery (from 2006) and counted the number of churches and retail establishments using U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns. With these data, the authors determined whether or not individuals gained weight when moving to a lower density area or if they lost weight when moving to a mixed use area. They found that there was no significant effect from moving to different areas. They therefore conclude that urban form does not affect obesity rates, but that obese people are more likely to live in suburbs.