Date of Award
Spring 5-30-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master in Interior Architecture [Adaptive Reuse]
Department
Interior Architecture
First Advisor
Liliane Wong
Second Advisor
Jeffrey Katz
Third Advisor
Rafael Luna
Abstract
Our built environment and broken food system are significant contributors to the obesity epidemic in the United States and must be considered when working towards a solution. Careless development patterns and city planning based around the ease of motor vehicle travel have left us with fragmented neighborhoods, increased dependency on cars and unsafe or uninviting sidewalks, each contributing to increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Simultaneous changes in communication needs and increased connectivity through use of email have led to a drastic decline in the use of the postal service, causing major financial problems for the government agency. Historically a staple to every town in America, post offices played an important part in the lives of Americans for generations. Due to these changes, many centrally located post offices throughout the country will no longer be needed to serve their original purpose.
All Americans should have the ability to choose to live a healthy life. Health and well-being are basic human rights that are being compromised, keeping much of America from engaging in reasonable physical activity and nutritional intake. The role of architecture and planning is essential to restore and enhance the places we live, work and play to increase quality of life for future generations and enable a healthier America.
Reinventing places with a history of communal use toward a primary focus on healthy living will begin to combat the effects of obesity, while fostering social engagement among community members.
Recommended Citation
Buck, Mallory, "The post office reimagined : restoring healthy living in America" (2015). Masters Theses. 7.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/7
Creative Commons License
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