Melbourne – the land of restaurant-laden laneways, coffee the envy of the world, AFL (enough said), and Australia's hippest hipsters.
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And yet it seems our beloved city could be making us sick.
Why?
Cars. And lots of them.
New research from Melbourne University, published in medical journal The Lancet, explores the link between urban design and health in six cities – Melbourne, Boston, London, Delhi, Sao Paulo and Copenhagen – and found poor urban planning could be making us unwell.
Of the six, Melbourne was the most reliant on cars, accounting for 85.1 per cent of kilometres travelled each day compared to just 55 per cent in London.
Walking and cycling accounted for only 2.1 per cent of kilometres travelled in Melbourne compared to 16 per cent in Copenhagen.
The toxic toll of cars
The heavy reliance on cars resulted in less exercise and, as a result, increased cardiovascular disease and even poorer mental health.
The answer to our car culture, the report's authors' found, was to become a "compact city".
What is a compact city?
The researchers found a compact city with greater land-use density and diversity and better access to public transport would lead to a healthier population. In other words, we squeeze in, create more green spaces, walk and ride instead of drive, and as a result become healthier.
If Melbourne was to become a compact city, cardiovascular disease would drop by 19 per cent and type 2 diabetes by 14 per cent, the report's authors found.
Co-author Billie Giles-Corti said cities that promoted walking and use of public transport resulted in more active and healthier citizens.
"If you build it they will come. People do walk when you create a better environment," she said.
Professor Giles-Corti said greater density in cities also made public transport more viable.
"We don't want people to get in their cars. We want people to get out and use public transport because they'll increase their physical activity."
Professor Giles-Corti said bringing employment, education and services, including shops, closer to residential areas to reduce reliance on cars was better than extending Melbourne's urban boundaries.
However, the researchers found Melbourne, Boston and London would need the largest investments in separated pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to keep more vulnerable road users safe from cars otherwise the number of road deaths and serious injuries would rise.
