Has your town caught a bad case of wide streets, placelessness, energy inefficiency & sedentary lifestyles? Here's your remedy

That's right. Where past CNU annual congresses have been all about guiding communities in becoming more walkable, sustainable and economically vital, CNU's 18th Congress in Altanta (May 19-22) will do that and more. Organized in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control, it will show how the principles of New Urbanism and smart growth are the "prescription" that can make communities healthier places where people spend less time isolated in their cars and instead integrating healthy activity and interaction into their daily lives. It's like CNU 18 honorary chair Dr. Howard Frumkin, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at CDC, says in the video here: "I see daily the risks our fellow citizens face when we don't build places well...Every day as I drive to work, I see people walking on absolutely unsuitable pedestrian infrastructure. For me as a doctor, this is like looking at someone who has high blood pressure and is not taking their medication."

Fortunately, the remedy — walkable livable communities — has been field-tested by new urbanists and shown to promote more active living and other benefits such as reduced reliance on foreign oil, lower carbon emissions and community connections formed at nearby meeting places, ranging from coffee shops to schools. These strategies and solutions will be fully explored at CNU 18. Make sure you — and the leaders in your city — are there for what's sure to be a historic alignment of planners, health professionals, federal agencies, local governments and developers promoting livable communities for America's new era. Read more at CNU 18: Rx for Healthy Places.

Image by Dhiru A. Thadani: please do not use without crediting.