Division of Population Health

Environmental and Policy Approaches
Because walking is the most commonly reported form of physical activity among older adults,
improving community environments to support walking is a promising approach to increase physical
activity in this population. 3 Research shows that modifying a community’s physical environment
to ensure access to places to exercise and removing barriers to walking may increase the physical
activity of older adults. Specific actions include building and repairing sidewalks. 4 Recent research
has shown that neighborhood environments that include built or physical (place-oriented) and
social (people-oriented) components are associated with health status and health behaviors. 5 Table 5
provides examples of environmental approaches to increasing physical activity.
Table 5. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: Recommendations Summary
of Environmental Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity
Approach Recommended Strategies Description of Strategies
Environmental
Approaches
Community-scale and urban
design land-use policies
Creation of or improved access
to places for physical activity
Street-scale urban design
land-use policies
Environmental approaches are designed to provide opportunities,
support, and cues to help people be more physically active. They
may involve
• The physical environment.
• Social networks.
• Organizational norms and policies.
• Laws.
Source: www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/environmental-policy/
communitypolicies.html
Creation of or improving access to places for physical activity
involves the efforts of employers, coalitions, agencies, and
communities as they attempt to change the local environment to
create opportunities for physical activity. Such changes include
creating walking trails, building exercise facilities, or providing access
to existing nearby facilities.
Source: www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/environmental-policy/
communitypolicies.html
Street-scale urban design and land-use policies involve the efforts
of urban planners, architects, engineers, developers, and public
health professionals to change the physical environment of small
geographic areas, generally limited to a few blocks, in ways that
support physical activity.
Source: www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/environmentalpolicy/
streetscale.html
The State of Aging and Health in America 2013 PAGE 37