Physical activity: Supporting healthy communities
On this page
- About the built environment
- About active transportation
- Designing active environments for diverse needs
About the built environment
The neighbourhoods that you live in can have an impact on your health and daily choices. The built environment is part of the physical spaces you see and use every day, including:
- parks
- schools
- buildings
- road systems
- other infrastructure
How the built environment affects your ability to be physically active
Certain community features and designs have the potential to impact your health. They can also influence how you live, work and connect with others.
The built environment can shape your lifestyle and behaviours, including how physically active you are. This depends on the availability, accessibility and safety of features in your surroundings and urban planning.
People are more physically active when living in communities characterized by:
- many homes in one area (high residential density)
- convenient and affordable access to public transportation
- mixed land use (for example, stores in walking distance of homes)
- streets that are safe and easy to use for different types of transportation
People are more active when they live near recreational facilities and live in attractive and well-maintained surroundings.
About active transportation
Active transportation is human-powered transportation, which means using your own power to get from one place to another. This includes:
- biking
- skateboarding
- skating and rollerblading
- walking, jogging and running
- snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
- using mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters or e-bikes
Learn more:
How active transportation affects your ability to be physically active
Active transportation can help people achieve recommended physical activity levels, as it gives you an opportunity to be physically active on a regular basis.
Recommended physical activity levels
In addition, active transportation has many benefits for society, transportation systems, the environment and the economy, as it:
- reduces road congestion
- helps you connect with others
- saves money on gas and parking
- contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
How to build active transportation into your life
Getting outside and moving is a good way to find out if your community is designed to support an active lifestyle. Make the best use of what your community has to offer by using active transportation to get to your destination. For example:
- try cycling to work or when doing errands
- put on your running shoes and walk to work or school
- before using your car, consider if you could walk or bike instead
- instead of driving your child to the park, walk or make it a family outing on your bikes
If you’re considering moving, think about the transportation options available in your new location, including:
- the nearest school for your child
- if you can walk or bike to a transit station
- the distance to places you would regularly visit
- if your new neighbourhood is pedestrian friendly
Learn more:
- Active transportation: How are children getting to school? (infographic)
- Active transportation: Children over the years, 2010 to 2018 (infographic)
Designing active environments for diverse needs
Physical activity can help to bring people together and build stronger communities. Creating communities with accessible, safe spaces helps people stay active and makes neighbourhoods better places to live for everyone.
It can also help improve health equity, which means giving everyone a fair chance to be healthy. Active environments do this by reducing unfair systems and policies that cause health inequalities. Health inequalities are the avoidable differences in health between people.
When designing environments for physical activity, it’s important to consider different population needs and barriers.
Learn more:
Socially connected communities
Physical activity can help promote social well-being, an aspect of our health that relates to our relationships and interactions with others. People with more social ties and a strong sense of community belonging are more likely to report higher physical and mental health.
Outdoor green spaces are an example of social settings for people to engage in healthy behaviours that can help foster social connections within communities. They provide a place for people to:
- share experiences
- engage in social interactions
- build connections with others
- participate in recreational activities that encourage spending time outdoors
Communities can promote social connectedness by having:
- destinations to walk to and places for people to gather
- access to attractive green spaces, cultural spaces, architecture or public art
- indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and spaces such as parks, gyms and playgrounds
Learn more:
Age-friendly communities
Age-friendly communities are collaborative initiatives to ensure communities are set up to help seniors:
- live safely
- age actively
- stay involved
- enjoy good health
For example, in an age-friendly community:
- health and community support services are available
- housing is affordable, safe and well designed for seniors
- opportunities exist for seniors to be socially and physically active
- roads, walkways, outdoor areas, neighbourhoods, public buildings and public transit are pleasant, safe and accessible
- community supports and activities are available, including opportunities or programs for visiting museums or libraries, taking courses, volunteering or civic duties
Learn more:
Accessible communities
Accessible features in a community contribute to supportive, active environments.
For example, in an accessible community:
- public spaces are safe and comfortable with rest areas, non-slip surfaces and adequate lighting
- ramps, elevators and level pathways accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and people with mobility challenges
- design features consider different needs, such as motion activated doorways and adjustable counter heights
Learn more:
Climate change resilient communities
The changing global climate affects your health and well-being in many ways.
Climate change is making weather patterns more unpredictable, causing more frequent and extreme weather events, like:
- flooding
- wildfires
- heatwaves
- hurricanes
Climate change presents several challenges to outdoor physical activity due to extreme weather events and poor air quality.
Some people are more vulnerable and negatively affected by climate change than others. This is due to their:
- degree of exposure to climate hazards
- likelihood of being harmed by climate impacts
- ability to cope with the health impacts of climate change
Communities can adapt to climate change and promote physical activity by:
- investing in emergency preparedness response and recovery systems
- monitoring the air quality health index and communicating health risks
- adapting infrastructure to be more resilient to damage from earthquakes, floods or wildfires
- expanding access to indoor facilities to help people stay active during extreme temperatures and weather events
- developing green spaces to improve air quality, lower temperatures and promote health and well-being by providing settings for people to be physically active
Learn more:
- Local air quality health index
- Staying Healthy in the Heat (brochure)
- What you can do to improve air quality
- Who is most impacted by climate change
- Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure
- Extreme heat events: How to protect yourself from the health effects of extreme heat
- Wildfire smoke, air quality and your health: Protecting your physical and mental health