[mlinksva]

I wish the interview was a bit more substantial, but I like the exercise should be free/gyms are bad (exaggeration mine) idea. Gyms are like skyways (eg in Minneapolis), or like mass transit stations surrounded by parking: they detract from the vibrancy of street life and subvert their purpose.

[vinay427]

By that logic, tennis courts, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities do the same. Not everyone uses a gym to run on a treadmill, or even to do cardio-based exercises.

[mlinksva]

They do, to some small extent. I'm not claiming that indoor gyms should not exist at all or that on should never ever drive to one, nor that there is never a case for a skyway or parking at a transit station (though parking should never ever be gratis). Only that the costs exist and should be considered.

[nathancahill]

Outdoor gyms have really taken off in Latin America (it's my understanding that they originally became popular in China).

The social aspect is great. Quite often, they are in the center of parks and green space downtown. People hang out around them and work out together.

[vinay427]

I have seen these in some Indian cities as well, and it's definitely appreciated. However, much of the US has a winter weather problem, perhaps partly only in perception. No one where I live seems to be excited by outdoor infrastructure because of the lack of use during winter months.

[magic_beans]

LA has tons of public outdoor bodyweight gyms at its beaches. Good weather helps.

[closeparen]

Huh. I would think most sidewalk users consider runners a nuisance. I certainly do. Street life is more vibrant when the people you're sharing the pathway with go about the same speed.

The purpose of a mass transit system is to reduce contention for housing by letting a city's population diffuse over a larger land area. Parking should amplify this purpose by expanding the amount of land served by the system cost-effectively (relative to more densely packing stations in low-density areas).

With regard to gyms specifically, in much of the country, weather extremes are enough to deter all but the most hardcore badasses from outdoor exercise for much of the year. My alternative to running indoors when it's 110 or -20 is to not run.