Living in an urban sprawl can affect your life expectancy in a negative way, says a new study done by the University of Texas. Urban sprawl refers to the expansion of human population away from central urban areas into low-density, monofunctional and car-dependent communities. Interestingly, life expectancy, economic mobility, transportation choices and personal health and safety all improve in less sprawling areas, says the study. 

It is especially true in India. A 2017 report by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) found that hypertension is very common among men in urban India, and there was a rise in cases of diabetes, which was linked with overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, and an abnormal increase in the levels of fats, including cholesterol, in the blood.

“Alternatives, like the green building movement, have to become society’s staple and not the exception. People who live in poorer socioeconomic areas often have to overcome more adversities, like greater travel times just to get to work, school or the grocery store,” said researcher Shima Hamidi. 

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