How Smart Cities Boost Our Exercise Habits

Ever wondered how smart cities can get us moving more? A recent study dug into this, using data from China's Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2020. They found that smart city construction really does make a difference in how much we exercise. The study used a special method called Difference-in-Differences (DID) to see how smart city policies affect people's workout habits. They cleaned up the data by removing any missing info and made sure outliers didn't mess up the results. They also added in factors like individual, household, and city-level details to get a clearer picture. The results? Smart city policies give a big boost to our exercise routines. And guess what? Not everyone responds the same way. Different groups of people have different reactions to these policies. The study also found that smart city construction affects our exercise habits both directly and indirectly. It improves city infrastructure, gives us better access to information, and makes exercise more enjoyable. So, what's the takeaway? Future smart city plans should make sure resources are fairly distributed. They should also focus on improving infrastructure in rural and western areas to up our national fitness level.