Healthy city living is about more than eliminating food deserts and boosting access to healthcare. It also means the ability to safely ride your bike down the street, breathe clean air and not have to choose between paying the rent or buying dinner.
A two-year analysis from Maryland-based de Beaumont Foundation’s CityHealth project sized up the 40 largest U.S. cities by all of these factors and more, and found that more than half aren’t taking the necessary steps to improve the health and well-being of their residents. The study looked at how cities fare across nine policies that help residents live healthier lives, and awarded them bronze, silver or gold medals — or no medal at all — in each of the nine categories, and then gave them a final medal based on those results.
