Active design has gained cachet in recent years among architects and public health experts, who see it as a low-key but effective way to build more exercise into lives that cars, elevators and other factors have made more sedentary over the decades. Less than half of American adults met aerobic exercise guidelines in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The head of a major New York construction industry group said he wanted to know more about how the concepts would be put into practice, but he applauded the overall idea. Bloomberg also recently signed an order requiring city agencies to look for opportunities to incorporate active design principles when constructing or heavily renovating city buildings or streets. During his nearly 12 years in office, Bloomberg has successfully led charges to start a bike-sharing program, ban smoking in bars and restaurants, make chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus and ban artificial trans fats in restaurants, among other health initiatives. While some see his health crusades as government hectoring, health officials praise them as often groundbreaking, and he frequently notes that life expectancy has risen at nearly twice the national rate since he took office in 2002.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 3 days ago.
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