IN THE NEWS: Nanda interviewed by CFA Institute about healthy urban design

How can we design cities that encourage us to live longer, healthier lives? This is a key question asked in a recent article by the CFA Institute and featuring insights from Taubman College faculty member Upali Nanda.

A nonprofit organization focused on finance education, the institute sought to learn more about what causes members of some communities to live longer on average than others.

According to the article, there are a number of “blue zones” across the world, places where residents disproportionately live to be 100 years old. These are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. Although it’s difficult to study the cause behind residents’ longevity, there are a number of common traits that shape daily life in these regions.

Nanda, professor of practice in architecture at Taubman College and global sector director for innovation at the design firm HKS, spoke about the importance of two of those shared traits — walkability and third spaces — when it comes to physical health, especially amongst older citizens.

“Why do people want to take their laptop to a coffee shop to work?” Nanda said. “They love the buzz of knowing that there are people around them. There’s a social fabric that makes them feel like they’re part of a community. Third places are even more vital as we age, and need to be inclusive for physical, sensory and cognitive changes we experience over time.”

Read the full article at the CFA Institute website.