February 2013 8-80 Cities newsletter now available

February 2013 8-80 Cities newsletter can be accessed here.

Here’s an excerpt from the newsletter:

The link between kids who walk or bike to school and concentration

By Sarah Goodyear

In 1969, 50 per cent of kids in the United States walked to school every day. In 2009 that number plummeted down to 13 per cent. Today, most parents are choosing to drive their kids to school because they perceive this choice as safer due to heavy car congestion, and more convenient despite shorter distances between home and school.

But would this choice change if parents knew that having their kids walk or bike to school actually had tangible benefits (aside from exercise)?

A Danish study released last year explains that there is a cognitive relationship between walking and cycling to school and a student’s ability to concentrate. The study shows that active transportation can improve students’ academic performance and comprehension of their neighbourhood surroundings.

[To read the full article click on the link at the top of this blog post.]