Abstract
In this chapter, we explore ways in which urban environments and urban lifestyles are bad for human health. We discuss the urban health penalty historically, presenting a case study of how London solved its urban health penalty over the centuries. We then move on to discuss the aspects of the urban health penalty that remain in today’s cities, with a focus on obesity and mental health disorders. Finally, we discuss in depth the potential causes of the urban psychological penalty. We argue that of these three environmental stressors are most amenable to mitigation by municipal officials, but that to some extent the urban psychological penalty is an inevitable consequence of the increased interaction inherent in urban life.
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McDonald, R., Beatley, T. (2021). Cities as Inhumane: The Urban Health Penalty. In: Biophilic Cities for an Urban Century. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51665-9_3
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