A healthy habitat is a habitat that allows an individual to thrive in terms of health, general fitness, and reproduction. This video provides some of the criteria that can be used to describe a healthy human habitat. One of the criteria is regular physical activity. Health is not a major consideration when providing criteria for the construction of eco-cities. Regular physical activity can be achieved by exercising, walking, or cycling. One campaign called the ‘National Never Walk’ campaign has employed several strategies that prevent people from walking. Some of these strategies involve obstruction or elimination of sidewalks and placing areas of importance far from residential areas. The campaign emphasizes the importance of cars and this discourages physical activities (Frumkin, 2011) .
A non-walkable environment promotes sedentary lifestyles, which causes individuals to be overweight and contributes to adverse health outcomes. The impact of inactivity and that of being overweight causes cardiovascular diseases, cancers, other health conditions, and increased mortality. The rates of obesity have been constantly rising in the United States. The prevalence in adults and children is almost similar (Frumkin, 2011) .
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In a study conducted to determine the relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, body weight, and health using sprawl index, it was established that sprawl influences walking time, weight, and blood pressure. Other researches studies have shown that urban planning influences physical activities. More footpaths and recreational spaces increase physical activity among residents. Denser neighborhoods and mass transit also promote physical activity. In a structural setting, building attractive staircases encourages more people to use them and promote physical activity (Frumkin, 2011) . Therefore, neighborhoods should mix land use, increase the population density, invest in bicycle and footpaths, increase green spaces, and promote the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
In Brownsville, there is limited access and reliability to public transport services such as subways. This may promote the use of private transport and reduce the physical activity of walking to train stations or bus stops ( From Strengths To Solutions: An Asset-Based Approach To Meeting Community Needs In Brownsville , pp. 18, 2017 ) . There is also a shortage of open spaces in Brownsville. The current ratio is 0.64 per 1000 residents instead of the optimal 2.5 acres per 1000 residents. Residents also worry about safety when walking on certain streets. These factors reduce the ability of the residents to engage in physical activity or walk respectively ( From Strengths To Solutions: An Asset-Based Approach To Meeting Community Needs In Brownsville, pp. 27, 2017 ) .
According to a study in Brownsville in 2015, adults in Brownsville have a rate of 79 percent of physical activity every 30 days while 32 percent are obese. Heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes mellitus are also the leading causes of mortality, and these illnesses can be linked to personal lifestyle (King et al., pp 8-13, 2015) . Therefore, Brownsville cannot be considered a healthy habitat based on this criterion.
References
From Strengths to Solutions: An Asset-Based Approach to Meeting Community Needs In Brownsville . Citizens' Committee for Children, New York, 2017, pp. 18-27. Accessed 23 Mar 2021.
Frumkin, Howard. Ecocity2011 | Howard Frumkin | Urban Ecosystems In Which People Thrive . 2011.
King, L. et al. "Brooklyn Community District 16: Brownsville". Community Health Profiles 2015 , vol 40, no. 59, 2015, pp. 1-16., Accessed 23 Mar 2021.
