It isn't just Flint: Scientists find alarming deterioration in DNA of the urban poor

[Prism]

5. Modern urban living is pretty unnatural for homo sapiens

I read a series of articles a few years ago - wish I could find them - about how scientists measured neurogenesis in the human brain. Basically, the less natural the environment (concrete, buildings, traffic, lack of vegetation), the more stress hormones the body released and the more limited brain development. This was especially pronounced in children. Urban children did not develop as quickly or perform as well in testing as their suburban and rural counterparts. These results were consistent across racial and economic lines.

The studies found improvement in urban areas with reduced traffic, more sunshine, and more green spaces.

The article in the OP doesn't surprise me. We've known this for awhile now, but it's nice to have more evidence on paper. Living in an urban area and being poor will literally kill you and damage your children.