Wh ere

th e
Green
Grass
Grow s
By Gemma Samoy

The Green roof t op of a skyrise

building in Chicago

Today, more eco-friendly

alternatives such as hybrid cars
and solar panels seem incredibly
out of reach. The latest trends in
green tech and healthier living
are constantly outside of our
price range, however, recent
movements in healthy cities are
working
to
increase
their
availability. Areas which promote
an improved environment and
higher standard of living are
considered healthy cities (WHO,
n.d.). Cities like this work to
create
solutions
for
environmental and health issues
by providing residents with
alternatives in transportation,
food, and buildings. These
innovations allow us to make a
difference
in
both
the
environment and the people who
live in it. Healthy cities are the
next step in improving our
environment and our personal
health.
A Vert ical Farm Diagram

Wart ha T. Daniel Library, award

winner for sustainable design and
LEED certified

What are Healthy

Cities?
Healthy
cities
promote
healthy lifestyles for citizens and
strive for a healthier environment.
Programs for healthy cities were first
created in 1986 to improve the state
of
already
established
cities;
however, it wasn?t until 1994 that
these programs began to take action
in developing countries (WHO, n.d. ).
This was an important step because
in these cities there are a lack of
healthy food and efficient energy
sources. There are also high amounts
of
pollution and malnutrition.
Healthy cities are needed to combat
the ills in our society, such as these,
and the exploitation of
our
environment . This can be seen in the
U.S.?s incredibly high oil consumption
rates, prices in energy, and amounts
of pollution expulsion and obesity
(Scherer, 2013). This shows how our
country uses too much of its own
resources
and
tarnishes
our
environment. If healthy city plans
were set in more places we?d be able
to reduce the use of energy, oil and
the production of pollution. For
example, one plan to encourage
sustainability in cities is the Healthy
Urban Planning Initiative (Barton &
Grant, 2012). This initiative displays a
plan to improve citizens? health and
shows how the environment and our
health impact one another. The
Healthy Urban Planning Initiative
hopes
to
make
greener
transportation and technology more
accessible and by doing so help to
create a community and environment
that is in healthier condition. To
summarize, programs created by
healthy cities aid in creating better
environments for citizens to live in
and improves their overall health.

Local Bike Sharing Program in Minnasota

Alternative
Transportation
Alternative
forms
of
transportation promote healthier
lifestyles
and
a
cleaner
environment.
The
effects
of
alternative transportation have been
seen when there is a decline in
walking and cycling, there is in turn
an increase in obesity and heart
disease. (Barton & Grant, 2012) This
shows the significance of alternative
transportation because by utilizing
forms of transportation such as
walking or cycling, you get more
exercise. The added
exercise
benefits your body and therefore
makes you less susceptible to
diseases. So, by using alternative
forms of transportation you will
have a healthier lifestyle.

The increasing use of

bicycles
also
benefits
the
environment. In fact, in the past year
through the increase of bicycle
users, there has been a reduction in
carbon emissions by 33 million tons
which is the equivalent of 10 coal
power plants (Scherer, 2013). This is
due to the use of greener forms of
transportation that have lower
outputs of carbon emissions. These
emissions
contribute
to
the
greenhouse effect, or the warming
of the Earth?s surface due to trapped
carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
This in turn causes disturbances in
our ecosystem, such as the melting
of polar ice caps and California?s
ongoing drought. This shows how
within one year our country has
been able to make huge step in
helping our environment.
Additionally, the use of
alternative transportation benefits

local communities. An example of

this is how the cost of public buses
alone are about 1 billion whereas it
only costs 25 million to create a
bike friendly city, including bicycle
lanes, bicycle racks, new traffic
lights that sense cyclists, and bike
sharing programs (Scherer, 2013).
This is significant because it shows
how alternative methods of
transportation are better for the
community. Through using bicycles
as transportation residents are able
to get more exercise than they
would normally which improves
their health. Not only does this
alternative
method
of
transportation help to reduce
obesity in a community but it also
costs less than current types of
public transport. Overall, local
communities have greater access
to healthier alternatives in food
and transportation at lower costs

References
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http:/ / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/ articles/ PMC3764272/
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-you-better-eater
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