Walkability, transit, and body mass index: A panel approach

January 18, 2018

Individuals who move to transit-friendly,walkable neighborhoods see systematic reductions in their body weight over time. People who give up their cars see even stronger reductions in body weight. The effects are moderate (the average-height person could expect to lose about seven pounds after six years living car-free), but on a population level, the public health benefits of reduced car dependence could be quite significant. Read more from a recent report from VTC’s Professor Mike Smart.

Recent Posts

Heldrich Report: Voices of the Family Child Care Workforce in NJ

In 2024, the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development launched a statewide survey of registered family child care (FCC) providers in New Jersey as part of the Rutgers Child Care Research Collaborative, an initiative focused on child care in the state. The survey...

Prof. Cantor Receives Chancellor’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Joel Cantor received the 2025 Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award from Rutgers Health Office of the Chancellor. The award is given for a sustained and distinguished lifetime record of achievement in one or more of the Rutgers Health mission areas...

Assessing Pedestrian Stress with Biometrics & Surveys

Assessing pedestrian stress with biometric sensing and survey responses Abstract Recent advances in biometric sensing technologies, such as eye tracking, heart rate trackers, and galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors, offer new opportunities to measure pedestrian...

Understanding Awareness and Perceptions of Palliative Care

Understanding Awareness and Perceptions of Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study of Cancer Patients and Caregivers in New Jersey Iman Basit, Taylor Hughes, Alyssa King, Claudia Luca, Rita Mirabelli, Ashley Montuoro, Allison Smith & M. Hamza Habib, MD Read Report...

“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Kevin Dehmer

Join the Heldrich Center for a special "Back to School" episode of the Work Trends RU podcast series, featuring New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. Commissioner Dehmer discusses: The major challenges, innovations, and achievements in New...