Physical Activity in Communities

RWJF Priority: Increase physical activity by improving the built environment in communities

When children have safe places to walk, bike and play in their communities, they’re more likely to be active and less likely to be obese. Communities can increase opportunities for physical activity by building new sidewalks, bike paths, parks, and playgrounds—and by improving those that already exist.

To encourage families to use these resources and facilities, communities can implement traffic-safety measures and neighborhood watch programs, so children are safe when playing outside. Such measures are especially important in underserved communities, where residents often face high crime rates, dangerous traffic patterns, and unsafe sidewalks.

The resources below, from RWJF grantees and partners, highlight recent efforts to identify the most promising solutions for promoting physical activity in communities.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

From the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids

Renovating Northgate Park in Camden, NJ

"We want to see kids and families active." The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids helped to rennovate Camden's Northgate Park, where residents can now use the new playground and participate in activities like tennis, volleyball, and cycling.

Watch the video

From Active Living Research

Do All Children Have Places to be Active?

Children who live in communities of color and lower-income communities are more likely to live in neighborhoods that do not support physical activity.

Read the brief

From Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

A Healthier Park

Chicago's healthy improvements to Humbolt Park include installing community gardens and healthy vending machines, and improving pedestrian access to parks.

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From Salud America!

Physical Activity, Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youth

Transportation issues, safety concerns, and lack recreational opportunities are some of the factors that prevent Latino youths from being active and encourage sedentary behaviors.

Read the brief

From Active Living Research

Promoting Physical Activity Through the Shared Use of School and Community Recreational Resources

Shared use of school and community recreational facilities are a cost-effective way to promote physical activity in a community.

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3 p.m. to Bedtime: Crunch Time for Children and Obesity

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.

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Childhood Obesity Program Area

RWJF is committed to tackling one of the most urgent threats to the health of our children and families—childhood obesity. Our goal is to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Safe Routes to School

September 1, 2011 | Report

This report examines the many benefits and cost-savings Safe Routes to School programs offer.

The Relationship Between Perceptions of Neighborhood Characteristics and Obesity Among Children

April 1, 2011 | Book

This policy paper is from a series published by the National Bureau of Economic Research on obesity in the United States. The authors examined whether maternal perceptions of neighborhood environment affect children’s body weight.

Safe Routes to School 2009 Policy Report

March 1, 2009 | Report

The report explores the challenges and opportunities raised during the implementation of the federal Safe Routes to School program.

Fellowships Bring Student Leaders to Miami for Active-Living-by-Design Meeting

April 1, 2004 | Program Result Report

The Congress for the New Urbanism sponsored the Active Living by Design Student Fellowship Program to fund student attendance at its tenth anniversary meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., in June 2002.

State Legislation to Address Childhood Obesity

December 14, 2012 | Program Result Report

Researchers analyzed state legislation on childhood obesity for factors that predict enactment and to understand the relationship between enacted policies and obesity rates. They developed tools to help others analyze legislation.

Physical Activity

April 1, 2011 | Book

This policy paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines factors contributing to obesity, such as physical inactivity. Data are taken from surveys conducted as part of the 2000-2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.

Studying the Child Obesity Epidemic with Natural Experiments

April 1, 2011 | Book

This paper is part of a series on obesity published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The authors used data from pediatric visits to estimate effects of certain changes to the environment on children’s body mass. Environmental factors examined in this study are fast-food restaurants, supermarkets, parks, trails, violent crimes and 13 types of recreational amenities.

A New Light Rail Line with Stops in Low-Income Neighborhoods

August 4, 2010 | Program Result Report

ISAIAH, a faith-based community organization of 90 congregations, mobilized community activists to promote the links between transportation and access to healthy foods and to bring light-rail stops to low-income neighborhoods in the Twin Cities.

Physical Activity and Food Environments

March 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article provides an update on the body of research on physical activity and food environments. The authors present results from recent studies and reviews and discuss current promising innovations and policies.

Patterns and Predictors of Enactment of State Childhood Obesity Legislation in the United State

October 18, 2012 | Journal Article

This research and practice report identifies characteristics of state-level childhood obesity legislation that influences bill passage rates. Bills introduced by a bipartisan group of legislators were most likely to pass.