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Active living and public health
Designing for active living means providing opportunity for people to include moderate physical activity as part of their daily life.
Learn more about our approach to placemaking
There is growing recognition that our transportation and land use frameworks have implications for the health and well-being of our communities. A built environment that allows people opportunities to be physically active as part of everyday life can help reduce the burden of common chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Our policy and design choices can result in built environments that encourage or hinder active living.
The likelihood of a walk to the grocery store, a bike ride to school, or meeting friends in the park depends on the environment in which they are attempted. In our practice, we acknowledge and celebrate the connections between the built environment and health, and emphasize helping communities make policy changes and implement short- and long-term infrastructure changes that will promote routine and healthful physical activity.
Resources
- Walkable neighborhoods promote healthier living >
- How walkable is your community? >
- Why connectedness matters >
- Land use planning and public health toolbox >
Recent trends in mobility and public health
The design of our communities, and the opportunities they provide for physical activity, have ramifications for our health.