If you saw my last post, Did WALL-E have it right?, then you might think that the following supports the idea that we are headed in that direction:

Rattling off several morose U.S. statistics—like the doubled rate of diabetes in the last 15 years—Jackson describes a “profound decline in the fitness of Americans,” and blames, in large part, the environments we’ve created. “In many ways, it’s because we’ve taken people’s legs away from them,” he says. “Most people can’t buy a carton of milk without getting in the car.”

Well, don’t lose hope. The article, Can ‘New Urbanism’ Bring Health to Your Neighborhood? , continues on a more positive note:

Of course, walkability is just one part of the recipe for a healthy community—which requires green space, safe streets and buildings, and access to fresh food and public transportation.

The good news: These places are coming. The last 30 years have seen walkable urban neighborhoods go from some of the least-valued real estate in America to among the nation’s most desirable places to live, says Christopher Leinberger, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he recently coauthored a study showing a direct relationship between a neighborhood’s walkability and the value of its commercial and residential properties.

The article goes on to provide five tips for enhancing your own community and making it a more desirable place to live.