Although I appreciated the speakers humor on failed architecture, I really only enjoyed the last 5 minutes of his talk. His "sky is falling routine" extremism generally rubs me the wrong way. I've never been a fan of trying to affect change by beating people over the head and screaming about how their way of life is wrong. There's better ways to do it.
However I agree with James H Kunstler as the issues with the movement for a more civic model living environment from the suburban promotes a healthier lifestyle.
For example most families that live in the suburbs that I know will travel by car to the closest walmart to do their shopping because there are no safe side walks. This also deters children from playing outside or even walking to school (which probably is not closely located to many homes anyways). However from my own experience growing up in a civic style neighborhood, there are wide side walks and narrower roads which promote people to walk and cars to slow down. You can walk to the market nearby, there many small shops and cafes and local business located all within 20 minutes walking distance. Finally there are always children outside and people walking.
The rate of obesity in children is alarming and using the built environment to alter the way we live and move about may help to decrease the prevalence of this disease and maybe even others that are highly correlated with it.
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