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Senior citizens in urban areas have a higher longevity when the environment around their home includes walkable green spaces, less noise from traffic, and when their homes have more hours of sunlight. Living near parks and tree-lined streets has the greatest effect, adding over 3 years to seniors' lives, while having the space available to take walks was the second-most important of the factors studied, adding 2.7 years to seniors' lives.

Takano, Takehito, Keiko Nakamura, and Masafumi Watanabe. (2002). Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: The importance of walkable green spaces. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 56(12), 913-918.

Topics

Health & well-being, Aging

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