UIC looking at link between zoning laws, fitness

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago plan to study links between zoning laws and increases in physical activity.

The university said Tuesday in a news release that the study is one of the first to look at the relationships between land use as dictated by zoning laws and its influence on physical activity among adults.

According to the release, communities around the country are increasingly using zoning laws to make changes intended to increase activity and exercise. The researchers say they’ve found such communities in 36 states.

The researchers say little is known about how effective the zoning changes are.

The study is being financed by a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.