2013-05-18T10:14:36-04:00 http://archinect.com/news/article/63199920/architects-issue-report-documenting-the-connection-between-design-and-public-health-press-releases Archinect 2012-12-11T12:33:00-05:00 >2012-12-16T22:03:13-05:00 <img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/kq/kq56le8xafa4x5tt.jpg" width="514" height="334" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today issued a report: Local Leaders: Healthier Communities Through Design that provides a roadmap for towns and cities looking to help their populations stay healthy by employing design techniques that encourage residents to increase their physical activity.</p></em><br /><br /><p> The report, which was released today at Governing Magazine&rsquo;s &ldquo;Summit on Healthy Living,&rdquo; demonstrates how active lifestyles aided by positive design choices lead to a healthier population. Individuals who live in livable, mixed use communities, with options for transit - weigh less, are more physically active, and experience less chronic disease.</p> <p> &ldquo;Architects play a key role in designing healthy environments,&rdquo; said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. &ldquo;This report shows the benefits our profession can bring to establishing a built environment that encourages exercise and discourages a sedentary lifestyle.&rdquo;</p> <p> Key barometers of health suggest America is heading in the wrong direction, namely toward physical inactivity, obesity, and chronic disease. Studies, highlighted in the report, demonstrate that the median improvement in some aspect of physical activity for livable urban communities can be over 160 percent. Studies also show that a community designed for exercise can prevent 90 percent o...</p>