As communities begin to realize the importance of the health of their residents, it becomes clear that amenities must be provided to encourage an active population. The CDC affirms that “regular physical activity decreases risk for many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis; assists in weight control; and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Regular physical activity can be achieved by walking or biking at least 30 minutes each day.
However, this goal may be difficult to achieve if residents do not have good bicycle and/or pedestrian facilities to use. Data from a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that “individuals who live in counties that are more walkable…tend to have lower body mass indices (BMIs) than people in less walkable areas, even after controlling for a variety of individual variables related to health.” An active network consists of a series of lanes, paths, trails, sidewalks, and parks, which allow people to safely walk or bike for recreation, exercise or commuting. Other pieces of infrastructure can also be included in this network. For example, bike lockers, bike racks, shower and locker facilities, printed network maps, and walk and bike community events all encourage residents to get moving.
The first step in ensuring that a walking and/or biking network is complete and accessible is to perform an assessment of the current facilities. An assessment will inventory what already exists and the condition of the current network. It will point out where gaps exist and what repairs need to be made. It will also inform decision makers on where future facilities should go. The next step is making the necessary infrastructure changes to improve the network. Once the network is in place, it must be promoted throughout the community by producing and distributing maps, installing signs and holding events to demonstrate to residents that they have safe and accessible options for activity.
Communities of all sizes can make efforts to promote walking and biking. Whether rural or urban, wealthy or low income, most places will discover that they already have the beginnings of a network in place, and a few small steps will put the pieces together to make active living feasible.
References
Doyle, S., Kelly-Schwartz, A., Schlossberg, M., & Stockard, J. (2006). Active Community Environments and Health. Journal of the American Planning Association. 72(1):19.
Ham, S., Macera, C. & Lindley, C. (2005, October). Trends in Walking for Transportation in the United States, 1995 and 2001. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy. 2(4): 1.
