New Urbanism: Rx for Healthy Places?

Amidst the ongoing debates in Congress and across the nation today on health care reform, I can't help but think that much of what we're debating would cease to be an issue if we learned how to build healthy cities. I think the Congress for the New Urbanism does a great job of succinctly describing the benefits:

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that community design -- land use, design character, transportation systems, sustainability, and density -- can promote physical activity and lifelong communities; lower the risk of traffic injuries, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension; improve air quality, affordability, social equity, connectivity, mental health and long-term value; increase social connection, sense of community and healthy food access; and reduce crime, violence and contributions to climate change.

Check out CNU's interesting new video, promoting the upcoming CNU 18 in Atlanta, coming up May 19-22, 2010:

I'm definitely going to have to try to make it down to Atlanta for this conference. What do you think? Can all these claims be true? Is this something that would work for Chattanooga?