Active design, public space, and transportation

Physical activity and healthy eating rank among the leading ways to get and stay healthy.

Active design is an applied, evidence-informed approach to improve physical, mental and social health outcomes through the design of the built environment. Active design leverages the expertise of architects, planners, developers, community members, designers, and other stakeholders.

Designing to increase access to high quality parks, pedestrian plazas, sidewalks, quiet spaces, trees and other greenery, secure bicycle storage, gathering spaces, and stairways can have a measurable effect on people’s ability to safely maintain their physical, mental, and social health.