To the editor

I read an article in the Journal-World Sept. 12 about a co-housing project in Kansas and how it can provide another way to use city property more efficiently. I believe this plan could make it possible for people to become better acquainted with their neighbors.

The way cities have grown, people live in houses that are spread over farmland. This places people further from work and shopping, which increases the need for more time in our cars. Spending more time in our cars results in lack of physical activity. We continue to read statistics that show 62 percent of people in our country suffer from obesity.

Citizens need to tell their politicians that our cities need to make sharp changes in the planning process. The first step is to stop big retail stores from creating sprawl problems. The name Wal-Mart has actually become Sprawl-Mart.

Lester C. Marsh,

Lawrence