Physical Activity and the Built Environment

According to an article published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 35% of youth in the US fail to meet physical activity guidelines and another 14% lack any physical activity at all . With limited physical activity comes higher risk of obesity and heart diseases. As we know, physical activity and obesity are indicators of community health, so how can we get the rates of physical activity up and decrease the risk for obesity? 

credit to: Megan McCarthy

The built environment around us plays a huge role by influencing the decisions we make, for example, the presence of bike routes supports bicycle commuting. A report put out by County of Los Angeles Public Health said that "cities with less open areas set aside for parks, recreations, or wilderness are likely to have more childhood obesity than other cities.” This all points to the idea that built environment can motivate a person to participate in physical activity by providing wide sidewalks on which to walk, parks to play in, and lights to help ensure the safety of these activities. This is why it is so important to create parks and other safe, open green spaces in communities. 

credit to: Sarah Mather

The members of your community should never be taken for granted. Parks promote healthy activity rates not only for children, but the whole family as well. This is why we decided to design parks of our own that would benefit the neighborhoods and communities in which we live. 

credit to: Robin Lindland

By promoting visual interest in a park, the public can become more motivated to start moving and, in turn, adopt a healthier style of living. As you can see, even childish drawings can serve to communicate the ideas of a community member.

We encourage you to think critically about the neighborhood in which you live. What aspects of its built environment do you like? And what aspects would you want to change? Brainstorm some ideas for your community and encourage neighbors to do the same. When you combine creativity and collaboration, you never know where a simple drawing may take you!

~Created by the Pink Panthers