The obesity crisis has affected many nations. It is also one of the factors listed as contributing cause to the COVID-19 fatalities. The common tendency is to blame people’s dietary choices and sedentary habits. Yet, it can also be argued that social inequity and poor urban planning practices have largely contributed to a lack of active lifestyles. Low-density suburban sprawl, long commutes, food deserts, and diminishing green areas are some aspects that have led to reduced physical activity, among residents of all ages.

The proposed book illustrates the decline of community planning for healthy living and outlines measures that can be reintroduced to foster active lifestyles. Each chapter stands for another subject that merits intervention and illustrates strategic approaches. Its uniqueness lies in its comprehensiveness. It covers the key principles of residential planning and offers principles of neighborhood design along with sustainable strategies, as well as their applications. The text is not limited to a theoretical aspect but offers contemporary well-designed and illustrated examples of communities and firsthand information about them that was obtained through site visits and interviews with their designers.