I live in a neighborhood where rude drivers blow their horns incessantly. The cops rarely enforce the law protecting pedestrians, and real estate interests take priority over living standards. Politicians and city planners do not seem to understand that the built environment influences a community’s physical and mental health. Neighborhoods with markers of urban development like sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes are linked to reductions in obesity and high blood pressure, declines in deaths from stroke and cardiovascular disease, and improvements in overall mortality rates. Similarly, more road signs and street lights correlated with lower prevalence of high cholesterol and even cancer, as well as reduced depression and smoking. Pedestrian-friendly quiet neighborhoods tend to be associated with better community health and active lifestyles, which lowers risks for chronic disease and improves mental health. At the same time, noisy environments with little green space are linked to stress and anxiety. Designers and urban planners can help put health at the center of future development and zoning policy changes, but politics and money interests seem to trump citizens’ health and rights. (pun intended.)