Creating Built Environments That Expand Active Transportation and Active Living Across the United States: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

TLDR

Physical activity is essential for health yet remains low, and evidence shows that policy-driven active transportation—spanning land use, infrastructure, and design—can boost activity across all demographics, requiring coordinated federal, state, local, and health organization partnerships. The policy statement aims to strengthen partnerships among professionals, communities, and advocacy groups, encouraging health professionals to advocate for active transportation policies at all government levels, and to provide recommendations and resources that improve transportation systems, land use design, and education to promote active travel. The authors provide recommendations and resources to improve transportation systems, enhance land use design, and educate stakeholders to support policies and environments that promote active travel. The American Heart Association endorses safe, equitable active transportation policies nationwide that include consistent implementation evaluation.

Abstract

Physical activity is vital for the health and well-being of youth and adults, although the prevalence of physical activity continues to be low. Promoting active transportation or human-powered transportation through policy, systems, and environmental change is one of the leading evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity regardless of age, income, racial/ethnic background, ability, or disability. Initiatives often require coordination across federal, state, and local agencies. To maximize the effectiveness of all types of interventions, it is imperative to establish strong and broad partnerships across professional disciplines, community members, and advocacy groups. Health organizations can play important roles in facilitating these partnerships. This policy statement provides recommendations and resources that can improve transportation systems, enhance land use design, and provide education to support policies and environments to promote active travel. The American Heart Association supports safe, equitable active transportation policies in communities across the country that incorporate consistent implementation evaluation. Ultimately, to promote large increases in active transportation, policies need to be created, enforced, and funded across multiple sectors in a coordinated and equitable fashion. Active transportation policies should operate at 3 levels: the macroscale of land use, the mesoscale of pedestrian and bicycle networks and infrastructure such as Complete Streets policies and Safe Routes to School initiatives, and the microscale of design interventions and placemaking such as building orientation and access, street furnishings, and safety and traffic calming measures. Health professionals and organizations are encouraged to become involved in advocating for active transportation policies at all levels of government.