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A US study in Portland 2 , Oregon evaluating transit-friendly neighbourhoods (and therebywalk-friendly neighbourhoods, because every transit trip both begins and ends with awalking trip) found that residents weighed nearly 6 pounds (2.7 kilos) less than residentsin non-transit-friendly neighbourhoods. And significantly, this extra weight translateddirectly into additional health costs – about US$5500 per year per resident.With the cost of health care skyrocketing in most places around the world, and the cost ofproviding health care here in South Australia threatening to consume greater and greatershares of the state’s budget, these trends must be stopped and reversed.particularly among younger generations just entering the workforce. In turn, thoseemployers will seek to be located closer to their existing and future workforce.The advantages of living and working in these vibrant communities will also attract youngand creative individuals who want to make their mark, start a business or launch a newventure. All of this will produce a spiralling force, making these communities becomethe future of Adelaide. In addition, these new communities can revitalise and stimulateeconomic activity in areas long neglected but with great potential.People living in these areas will also benefit by not spending money on unnecessarytravel. Likewise, with these developments becoming attractive places to live and work,property values will rise. For the vast majority of our population, the largest equityinvestment they have is their home. The rising value of the home increases the ability toachieve aspirations; everything from making the home into what they want and pursuingrecreational opportunities to helping to send their children to university.I N T R O D U C T I O NInfrastructure – a different approachThe key to making this work is the infrastructure that determines how neighbourhoodsdevelop and evolve. If there are only roads and streets, then the only choice is to drive toone’s destination. If there are footpaths, safe street crossings, safe and substantial bikelanes and paths, then people have choices about how they get to their destinations. Andthose destinations – the grocery store, the coffee shop, the restaurants, the school fortheir children, and hundreds of other shops, services and recreational activities – must beaccessible by walking and biking.A new and more attractive wayIt is the responsibility of those guiding the future of the greater Adelaide area todemonstrate how a different development pattern – one that is denser aroundnodes, has mixed use activities, exciting and inviting open spaces, and substantialhigh value employment opportunities in addition to service jobs associated withexpanding retail activity – will not only meet the current needs of our populationbut will also achieve a vision for Adelaide’s future.And these efforts must be focused not on a single pattern for what a new developmentmust look like – it must embrace a variety of patterns that give people choices for how tomeet their individual aspirations.As this new style of development is built we will see individuals and families seekingthem out, having grown weary of needing a car for even the simplest travel needs. Asmore residents arrive in these developments, businesses will also seek nearby locations tocater to them. Employers seeking to attract and retain good employees also understandthe value of time, and that using that time for longer commuting trips is not attractive,2Presentation by Mel Rader of Upstream Public Health, to the Joint Policy Advisory Committee onTransportation, METRO, Portland, Oregon, USA (10 September 2009)2 FRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARDFRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARD 3