You hardly need scientific research to pinpoint objectionable aspects of suburban sprawl. The big-box commercial jumble, the lifeless cul-de-sac subdivision, the traffic, the sameness — all are plain to see. Disagreeable qualities of half-empty downtowns and deteriorated city neighborhoods are equally visible. Still, people don't usually think that the things they find aesthetically objectionable about their neighborhoods might literally be making them sick. Yet a growing mass of scientific evidence does indicate that how places are designed and built can cause and complicate grave health ... Read More