Built environment and physical activity

This page lists research demonstrating that certain features and characteristics in the built environment are associated with increasing walking and cycling.

Also see our information sheet Creating the environment for active travel for a review of research on how the built environment can facilitate health living.

Use the links below to go straight to that area of interest:

Latest papers

NEW - Do attributes in the physical environment influence children's physical activity? A review of the literature
Kirsten Krahnstoever Davison et al
International Journal of Behvaioural Nutrition and Physical Activity 3;19 2006

NEW - Do features of public open spaces vary according to neighbourhood socio-economic status?
David Crawford et al
Health and Place 14 (2008) 889-893

NEW - The Sociodemographics of land use planning: Relationships to physical activity, accessibility and equity
Semra A. Aytur et al
Health and Place 14 (2008) 367-385

NEW - Neighbourhood Environments and Physical Activity Among Adults in 11 Countries
JF Sallis
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 36;6 (2009) 464-490

NEW - The Relation between Neighbourhood Built Environment and Walking Activity among Older Adults
CL Nagel
American Journal of Epidemiology 168 (2008) 461-684

NEW - Promoting transportation cycling for women: The role of bicycle infrastructure
J Garrad et al
Preventive Medicine 46 (2008) 55-59

NEW - Environmental determinants of active travel in youth: A review and framework for future research
JR Panter et al
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 5;34 (2008)

Promoting Active Living Among People with Physical Disabilities. Evidence for Neighborhood-Level Buoys
M Spivock et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2008) 34(4) 291-298

National prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school
S Martin et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2007) 33(2) 98–105

Child transport practices and perceived barriers in active commuting to school
J Yeung et al
Transportation Research Part A (2008)

Stepping towards causation: Do built environments or neighborhood and travel preferences explain physical activity, driving, and obesity?
L Frank et al
Social Science and Medicine 65 (2007) 1898-1914

Recommended reading

Safe routes for children: what they want and what works
P Osborne
Children, Youth and Environments 15;1 (2005)

Active living research
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a supplement containing several articles focusing on a range of factors that influence physical activity: urban form, public open space, the built environment and transportation, including an assessment of a multi-use trail
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28;2, Supplement 2 (2005) 93-219

Changing the obesogenic environment: insights from a cultural economy of car reliance
S Hinde and J Dixon
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 10;1 (2005) 31-53

Urban sprawl and risk for being overweight or obese
R Lopez
American Journal of Public Health 94;9 (2004) 1574-1578

Changing the environment to promote health-enhancing physical activity
C Foster and M Hillsdon
Journal of Sports Sciences 22;8 (2004) 755-769

Relative influences of individual, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of walking
B Giles-Corti et al
American Journal of Public Health 93 (2003) 1583-1589

UK research

The built environment and health
M Rao et al
The Lancet 370;9593 (2007) 1111-1113

Pathways to obesity: identifying local, modifiable determinants of physical activity and diet
M Stafford et al
Social Science and Medicine 65;9 (2007) 1882-1897

Factors influencing the propensity to cycle to work
M Wardman et al
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 41;4 (2007) 339-350

Perceptions of the environment, physical activity and obesity
W Poortinga
Social Science and Medicine 63;11 (2006) 2835-2846

Safe routes for children: what they want and what works
P Osborne
Children, Youth and Environments 15;1 (2005)

Evaluation of the health effects of a neighbourhood traffic calming scheme
D S Morrison et al
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 58 (2004) 837-840

Changing the environment to promote health-enhancing physical activity
C Foster and M Hillsdon
Journal of Sports Sciences 22;8 (2004) 755-769

Obesogenic environments

Residential context, walking and obesity: two African-American neighbourhoods compared
R Miles et al
Health and Place 14 (2008) 275-286

Pathways to obesity: identifying local, modifiable determinants of physical activity and diet
M Stafford et al
Social Science and Medicine 65;9 (2007) 1882-1897

Perceptions of the environment, physical activity and obesity
W Poortinga
Social Science and Medicine 63;11 (2006) 2835-2846

Neighbourhoods and obesity in older adults: the Baltimore memory study
T A Glass et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31;6 (2006) 455-463

Obesity, physical activity, and the urban environment: public health research needs
R P Lopez et al
Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 5;25 (2006)

The link between obesity and the built environment. Evidence from an ecological analysis of obesity and vehicle miles of travel in California
J Lopez-Zetina et al
Health and Place 12;4 (2006) 656-664

Changing the obesogenic environment: insights from a cultural economy of car reliance
S Hinde and J Dixon
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 10;1 (2005) 31-53

Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars
L D Frank et al
American Journal of Preventative Medicine 27;2 (2004) 87-96

Urban sprawl and risk for being overweight or obese
R Lopez
American Journal of Public Health 94;9 (2004) 1574-1578

Environmental and lifestyle factors associated with overweight and obesity in Perth, Australia
B Giles-Corti et al
American Journal of Health Promotion 18;1 (2003) 93-102

Urban design & physical activity

Travel behaviour and objectively measured urban design variables: associations for adults traveling to work
H M Badland et al
Health and Place 14 (2008) 85-95

The relationship between destination proximity, destination mix and physical activity behaviours
G R McCormack et al
Preventive Medicine 46;1 (2008) 33-40

Factors influencing the propensity to cycle to work
M Wardman et al
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 41;4 (2007) 339-350

Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators
T S Nielsen et al
Health and Place 13 (2007) 839-850

Comparison of adult physical activity levels in three Swiss alpine communities with varying access to motorized transportation
O T Dombois et al
Health and Place 12 (2007) 757-766

The physical environment and physical activity
K Gebel et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 32;5 (2007) 361-369

Why Canadians cycle more than Americans: a comparative analysis of bicycling trends and policies
J Pucher et al
Transport Policy 13 (2006) 265–279

Active living research
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a supplement containing several articles focusing on a range of factors that influence physical activity: urban form, public open space, the built environment and transportation, including an assessment of a multi-use trail
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28;2, Supplement 2 (2005) 93-219

Transport, urban design, and physical activity: an evidence-based update
H Badland and G Schofield
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 10;3 (2005) 177-196

Perceived and objective environmental measures and physical activity among urban adults
C M Hoehner et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28;2, Supplement 2 (2005) 105-116

Neighbourhood design & physical activity

Neighbourhood walkability and the walking behavior of Australian adults
N Owen et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33;5 (2007) 387-395

Indicators of activity-friendly communities: an evidence-based consensus process
L K Brennan Ramirez et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31;6 (2006) 515-524

Many pathways from land use to health
L D Frank et al
Journal of the American Planning Association 72;1 (2006) 75-87

Relationships among community characteristics and walking and bicycling for transportation or recreation
Zlot AI et al
American Journal of Health Promotion 19;4 (2005) 314-317

The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument: evaluating features, amenities and incivilities of physical activity resources in urban neighbourhoods
R E Lee et al
International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity 2;13 (2005)

Neighbourhood inequalities in physical inactivity: the role of neighbourhood attractiveness, proximity to local facilities and safety in the Netherlands
F J van Lenthe et al
Social Science and Medicine 60;4 (2005) 763-775

Neighborhood-based differences in physical activity: an environment scale evaluation
B E Saelens et al
American Journal of Public Health 93;9 (2003) 1552-1558

Walkability

Neighbourhood walkability and the walking behavior of Australian adults
N Owen et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33;5 (2007) 387-395

Destinations that matter: associations with walking for transport
E Cerin et al
Health and Place 13 (2007) 713-724

Many pathways from land use to health
L D Frank et al
Journal of the American Planning Association 72;1 (2006) 75-87

Increasing walking: How important is distance to, attractiveness, and size of public open space?
B Giles-Corti et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28;2 Supplement 2 (2005) 169-176

Relationships among community characteristics and walking and bicycling for transportation or recreation
A I Zlot et al
American Journal of Health Promotion (2005) 314 - 317

Residents' perceptions of walkability attributes in objectively different neighbourhoods: a pilot study
E Leslie et al
Health and Place 11;3 (2005) 227-236

Understanding environmental influences on walking: review and research agenda
N Owen et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27;1 (2004) 67-76

Walkability and self-rated health in primary care patients
J Rohrer et al
BMC Family Practice 5;29 (2004)

Understanding environmental influences on walking: review and research agenda
N Owen et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27;1 (2004) 67-76

Environmental interventions

Evaluation of the implementation of a state government community design policy aimed at increasing local walking: design issues and baseline results from RESIDE, Perth, Western Australia
B Giles-Corti et al
Preventive Medicine 46 (2008) 46-54

Evaluating health effects of transport interventions
D Ogilvie et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31;2 (2006) 118-126

Changing the environment to promote health-enhancing physical activity
C Foster and M Hillsdon
Journal of Sports Sciences 22;8 (2004) 755-769

Evaluation of the health effects of a neighbourhood traffic calming scheme
D S Morrison et al
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 58 (2004) 837-840

Older adults

Older people's health, outdoor activity and supportiveness of neighbourhood environments
T Sugiyama et al
Landscape and Urban Planning 83;2-3 (2007) 168-175

Neighbourhood design and active aging
Y L Michael et al
Health and Place 12;4 (2006) 734-740

Objective measures of neighbourhood environment and physical activity in older women
W C King et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28;5 (2005) 461-469

Multilevel modelling of built environment characteristics related to neighbourhood walking activity in older adults
F Li et al
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 59 (2005) 558-564

Children / young people

Urban form correlates of pedestrian travel in youth: differences by gender, race-ethnicity and household attributes
J Kerr et al
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 12;3 (2007) 177-182

Built and social environments: associations with adolescent overweight and activity
M Nelson et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31;2 (2006) 109-117

Relationship Between urban sprawl and weight of United States youth
R Ewing et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31;6 (2006) 464-474

Personal, family, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school
A Timperio et al
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30;1 (2006) 45-51

Perceived neighborhood environments and physical activity in adolescents
J Mota et al
Preventive Medicine 41;5-6 (2005) 834-836

Safe routes for children: what they want and what works
P Osborne
Children, Youth and Environments 15;1 (2005)

Miscellaneous

Active transportation and physical activity: opportunities for collaboration on transportation and public health research
J F Sallis et al
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 38;4 (2004) 249–268

Health, supportive environments, and the reasonable person model
S Kaplan and R Kaplan
American Journal of Public Health 93;9 (2003)

Economic determinants of urban form: Resulting trade-offs between active and sedentary forms of travel
L D Frank
Journal of Preventive Medicine 27;3, Supplement 1 (2004) 146-153

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