Happiness, urban design and obesity!

Today, October 17th, brings headline news about obesity in the UK. A report by the government’s Foresight section ‘Tackling Obesities: Future Choices‘ is launched today and makes it to the BBC news headlines ‘Obesity ‘not individuals’ fault‘… ‘Obesity was an inevitable consequence of a society in which energy-dense and cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work were rife….In 2002, those who were overweight or obese cost nearly £7bn in treatment, state benefits and indirect costs such as loss of earnings and reduced productivity. In 40 years’ time, that figure could reach nearly £46bn, as health services struggle to cope with the ill-health such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke which can be associated with excess weight.’

A whole section of the Foresight report is devoted to ‘Obesogenic Environments’. It reviews the evidence, mainly from the USA, Australia and Scandinavia, linking the built environment with obesity and quotes a number of case studies illustrating ‘best practice’. These include traffic-free cycle and walking routes in Sussex, Glaxo-SmithKline which guaranteed employees parking places only if they cycled to work (??) and provided secure cycle parking, showers and lockers, urban planning groups which bring together city planners, transport planners and public health specialists to guide development, remodelling shared public space in Blackett Street in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne to benefit cyclists and pedestrians and, finally, Aylesbury Vale District Council and others involved with the development of Fairford Leys which aims to promote a better quality of life.

All encouraging stuff, but only some small steps in promoting a change of thinking amongst traffic planners and the public about planning for mobility by means other than the car, or even bus, and even, planning for less mobility.

Interestingly, an article by Pooran Desai in Building Design “What we can learn from ‘the good life‘” comments on lessons learned from the young science of happiness – happiness being related to health and environments which encourage daily physical activity such as walking to the local shops or commuting by bike. ‘Mobility has a more fundamental effect on happiness. Whereas traditional economic ideology promotes mobility to enable economic growth, change and competition, rising mobility has led to breakdowns in social networks and the sense of community…This has profound and negative effects on happiness, particularly on trust. Put simply, if you don’t know your neighbours, you are less likely to trust them — and with good reason, because simple game theory tells us crooks flourish in more anonymous societies.” And “if we create a culture which seeks happiness not consumption, we can avoid environmental damage.”

I’m skeptical about too much emphasis on happiness – it’s an elusive feeling and the more you seek it the harder it is to find. It sneaks up on you when you’re engaged in something else such as working for the benefit of others or making music. However, urban design which makes talking to and meeting your neighbours more likely and more pleasant (without intrusive traffic noise and fumes) and which makes it easier and more pleasant to get around on foot or by bike would tend to promote better health, better communities and more happiness.