Politics & Government

Bloomberg Says Take the Stairs, Fatties

Mayor wants buildings in NYC to focus on helping people make "active choices."

His crusade to keep you from drinking as much sugary crap as you want failed, it's true, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not the type of person to take that failure lying down. Or sitting down, or even relaxing for one blessed second. 

In announcing a new set of fitness initiatives and "active design" suggestions on Wednesday, Bloomberg hopes to turn New York City into the world's largest fitness center — and much of that will revolve around you taking the stairs. 

“New York City has been a leader when it comes to promoting healthier eating and now we’re leading when it comes to encouraging physical activity as well,” said Bloomberg. “Physical activity and healthy eating are the two most important factors in reducing obesity and these steps are part of our ongoing commitment to fighting this epidemic.”

Bloomberg announced the creation of the Center for Active Design, a new city agency that will work with architects to promote building in the five boroughs that encourages people to use stairs instead of elevators, take bikes instead of drive cars and enjoy greater access to healthier food options.

While none of the initiatives announced Wednesday will be a legal requirement — the largest criticism against Bloomberg's large soda ban — city agencies will be forced to "review the design of construction and major renovation projects to assess opportunities to implement active design elements."

How all of this will be implemented without the legal authority that the soda ban would have had is still up in the air, but the gentle guidelines exist, and you can see them all right here. 

What do you think? Is this a good suggestion? Or just another method by which the mayor is trying to dictate how residents live? Let us know in the comments. 

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