title: [Safety and health aspects in urbanised areas of different density (author's transl)].
abstract: Germans like to live in one-family houses. This way of living prevails more and more during recent years. However, the increase of one-family housing implies a high state of car dependence. Especially for children, youths, aged and disadvantaged people living in a car oriented city becomes difficult. Also a higher use of cars implies more air pollution and waste of energy. And additionaly, the increasing travel distances cause higher rates of traffic accidents. To avoid these disadvantages the alternative must be the high density development comprising both, high density-low-rise buildings and especially high rise buildings. By abandoning all one-family homes and using only tall buildings for dwelling and other purposes (stores, offices, schools etc.) the area of a city could be reduced to about one tenth of that what is urbanized today. Because of the short distances in such a city most of the trips could be made by walking or by using lifts. Accordingly traffic accidents could be reduced to one tenth of today's figures too. Despite of the many advantages the high density city has with respect to safety and health of its population such a city will be rarely realized because it does not meet the ideas and imaginations of many people. Nevertheless it seems to be advisable to promote high density residential areas for all those people who are willing to accept it or who prefer this way of living. This minority, however, should not be irritated by unqualified generalizing negative reports in the media.
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000397:Air Pollution; D005860:Germany, West; D006798:Housing; D011156:Population Density; D011634:Public Health; D012449:Safety; D014505:Urban Population
vernacular_title: Aspekte der Sicherheit und Gesundheit in Siedlungsbereichen unterschiedlicher Dichte.