Planning and Building a Healthy, Active City
Toronto is perhaps the densest and fastest growing city in Canada. Housing Canada’s oldest university, the Toronto stock exchange, as well as 2.6 million residents, it is constantly evolving and growing to meet its citizens’ needs. Recently, Toronto is looking to evolve into a more active city in hopes of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. In addition, the city hopes to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impacts through the discouraging of motor vehicle usage. Wong’s Active City Design states that 17% of residents that live in downtown Toronto have active lifestyles and are likely to walk or bike to work. The upcoming sections introduce the idea and core principles of an active city. The …show more content…
The World Health Organization defines a healthy, active city as “a city that continually creates and improves opportunities in the built and social environment and expands community sources to enable its citizens to be physically active in day-to-day life”. An active city utilizes its built environment to integrate physical activities into daily living; whether it be building recreational facilities, parks, and open social spaces for it citizens. A built environment can determine how easy or difficult it is to lead an active lifestyle. This can be in the form of provision of parks, recreational facilities, location of jobs, schools, and other services. Neighbourhoods, street and building designs can influence how people travel. In Active City: Designing for Health by the Toronto Public Health division a 2008 study shows that 60% of Torontonians aged 12 and over were below recommended levels of physical activity during leisure times. A lack of physical activity often leads to health issues and chronic disease which can have a detrimental affect on a city’s economy. In 2009, the societal cost of physical inactivity was estimated at $6.8 million, with direct costs used for drugs, hospital, and physician care. Indirect costs were relate to work loss due to illnesses and premature death (Toronto, Active City). As seen in Figure 1, obesity levels in countries with higher a higher percentage in active transportations are lower compared to countries with …show more content…
For example, Toronto’s zoning by-law seeks t to adhere to the second principle: having a diverse mis of land uses at a local scale.Toronto zoning by-laws supports the active city through provisions based on mixed use zones and requirements that support open spaces within the community. Toronto’s Bike Plan provides guidance and delivery for the development of on and off street bike lane networks in addition to laying an additional 77 km of bikeways trails which supports principles 5. In response to principle 8, the Toronto Parks Plan (2013) visions an abundant, off high quality and equitable access to parks and trails in addition to incorporating these principles through the design, distribution, and the development of new parks and recreational facilities in hopes of achieving equitable health outcomes from an increase in physical
Toronto is perhaps the densest and fastest growing city in Canada. Housing Canada’s oldest university, the Toronto stock exchange, as well as 2.6 million residents, it is constantly evolving and growing to meet its citizens’ needs. Recently, Toronto is looking to evolve into a more active city in hopes of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. In addition, the city hopes to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impacts through the discouraging of motor vehicle usage. Wong’s Active City Design states that 17% of residents that live in downtown Toronto have active lifestyles and are likely to walk or bike to work. The upcoming sections introduce the idea and core principles of an active city. The …show more content…
The World Health Organization defines a healthy, active city as “a city that continually creates and improves opportunities in the built and social environment and expands community sources to enable its citizens to be physically active in day-to-day life”. An active city utilizes its built environment to integrate physical activities into daily living; whether it be building recreational facilities, parks, and open social spaces for it citizens. A built environment can determine how easy or difficult it is to lead an active lifestyle. This can be in the form of provision of parks, recreational facilities, location of jobs, schools, and other services. Neighbourhoods, street and building designs can influence how people travel. In Active City: Designing for Health by the Toronto Public Health division a 2008 study shows that 60% of Torontonians aged 12 and over were below recommended levels of physical activity during leisure times. A lack of physical activity often leads to health issues and chronic disease which can have a detrimental affect on a city’s economy. In 2009, the societal cost of physical inactivity was estimated at $6.8 million, with direct costs used for drugs, hospital, and physician care. Indirect costs were relate to work loss due to illnesses and premature death (Toronto, Active City). As seen in Figure 1, obesity levels in countries with higher a higher percentage in active transportations are lower compared to countries with …show more content…
For example, Toronto’s zoning by-law seeks t to adhere to the second principle: having a diverse mis of land uses at a local scale.Toronto zoning by-laws supports the active city through provisions based on mixed use zones and requirements that support open spaces within the community. Toronto’s Bike Plan provides guidance and delivery for the development of on and off street bike lane networks in addition to laying an additional 77 km of bikeways trails which supports principles 5. In response to principle 8, the Toronto Parks Plan (2013) visions an abundant, off high quality and equitable access to parks and trails in addition to incorporating these principles through the design, distribution, and the development of new parks and recreational facilities in hopes of achieving equitable health outcomes from an increase in physical