Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Oklahoma City

TED Talk: OKC Mayor Mick Cornett on Designing a City for Fitness

I got to know Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett last year, when I interviewed him at the annual meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors. We talked about his realization that he and his constituents (generally speaking) were obese, and how he stood in front of the elephants at the zoo on New Year's Eve six years ago and announced that the city was going on a diet. He set out to have the residents of Oklahoma City lose a million pounds -- and the city achieved it.

In a TED talk taped in April and posted online last week, Cornett tells the story of how OKC went from being ranked by Men's Fitness magazine among America's fattest cities to being ranked as one of the fittest.

"I started examining my city -- its culture, its infrastructure -- trying to figure out why our city seemed to have a problem with obesity," Cornett says. "And I came to the conclusion that we had built an incredible quality of life if you happened to be a car. But if you happened to be a person, you were combating the car seemingly at every turn."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts