Improved walking environments can benefit mental health

Walking has mental as well as physical health benefits. Children that walk or bike to school have improved concentration, and moderate physical activity can help keep older people mentally sharp. But new data from the CDC show that the elderly have a significantly higher prevalence of pedestrian fatalities than younger people.

Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy (Frontier Group and U.S. PIRG Education Fund, 2012)

A new report released today by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and the Frontier Group demonstrates that Americans have been driving less since the middle of last decade. This trend away from …

Young people turning away from cars

There has been a substantial decrease in the percentage of young people who possess a driver’s license. The ubiquity of social media may be a cause of this decline in VMT. Young people are also showing a preference for urban living and its better access to transit, walking, and biking. Many young people simply may be unable to afford the high cost of owning and maintaining a car. This decline has led to car companies overhauling their marketing and design strategies in an attempt to win back market share among youth.