Active Living Policy and Community Design

Active living policy and community design encompass a multidisciplinary approach to shaping the built environment in ways that facilitate physical activity as part of everyday life. This field examines how land‐use regulations, urban planning, transportation infrastructure and public health initiatives interact to promote walking, cycling, public transport and recreational exercise. Key elements include mixed‐use zoning, connected street networks, accessible green spaces and complete streets that balance the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. By embedding physical activity opportunities into neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools and public realms, policy interventions can yield co-benefits for health, social cohesion, economic vitality and environmental sustainability. Cross-sector collaboration among municipal governments, health departments, transport authorities and community organisations is fundamental to translating evidence into practice and ensuring equitable access to active living environments globally.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Active Living Policy and Community Design publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in active living policy and community design across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Built environment: The human-made surroundings—roads, buildings, parks and transit systems—that influence opportunities for physical activity.

Active transportation: Modes of travel such as walking, cycling or public transit that involve physical exertion as part of daily journeys.

Transit-oriented development (TOD): Compact, mixed-use neighbourhoods located around public transport hubs designed to encourage walking and reduce car dependence.

Walkability: The extent to which the built environment supports safe, convenient and pleasant pedestrian movement.

Complete Streets policies: Design standards that require roadways to safely accommodate all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and motorists.

References

1. Co-benefits of designing communities for active living: an exploration of literature. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2015).
2. Physical Activity–Friendly Policies and Community Design Features in the US, 2014 and 2021. Preventing Chronic Disease (2023).
3. United States local health department engagement in activities that support active transportation considerations in land use and transportation policies: Results of a national survey. Frontiers in Environmental Science (2022).
4. Social-Ecological Urbanism as a Research Perspective to Analyse Transportation Inequalities in the Region of Łódź, Poland. Urban Planning (2024).