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.

Watch the video

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.

Learn more

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.

Learn more

You are now viewing 1 - 11 of 16 results

Sort results by:

Refine Your Results

By Topic

featured

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.

Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE)

September 1, 2011 | Report/Evaluation

This brief provides select preliminary research results, preliminary analyses, and policy implications for the implementation of the national Safe Routes to School program in Texas.

How Does Federal Funding Impact Infrastucture for Biking and Walking?

October 22, 2010 | Program Result Report

Researchers from the University of California, Davis, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences analyzed spending of federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure across metropolitan regions nationwide and conducted case studies.

The Path to Active Living

December 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article examines the work of the Somerville Active Living by Design Partnership. The authors report on the partnership between Active Living by Design and community organizations and assess the key successes and challenges of the project.

Researchers Review State Policies on Promoting Walking and Biking

September 1, 2005 | Program Result Report

From December 2001 through October 2002, staff from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) collected and analyzed information on state statutes and policies that promote walking and biking for physical activity.

Communities Can Encourage More Bike Riding and Walking to Improve Physical Fitness

April 1, 2003 | Program Result Report

The National Center for Bicycling & Walking developed and published a guidebook entitled Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design: A Guide for Public Health Practitioners.

Active Living by Design

February 4, 2013 | Program Result Report

From 2001 to 2009, 25 community partnerships across the country pursued projects designed to revamp the built environment and change public policies to make physical activity part of everyday life.

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of School-Based Active Living Programs

November 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Activities promoting Active Living by Design (ALbD) were implemented at a public elementary school in Chicago over five years. Students enrolled continuously from Grade 1 through Grade 4 had a significantly lower BMI compared with students who had transferred to the school after Grade 1.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

February 17, 2012 | Program Result Report

In Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, partnerships in 49 communities nationwide are changing local policies and revamping the physical environment to foster healthy living and prevent childhood obesity.

The Active Living by Design National Program

December 1, 2009 | Journal Article

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) established the Active Living by Design national program to promote daily physical activity in America. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine has published a supplement detailing lessons learned from the ALbD national program.

Active Living Logan Square

December 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article profiles the work of Active Living Logan Square, a program run by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association with funding from Active Living by Design. Active Living Logan Square was able to make positive active living improvements by engaging the community and a wide variety of partners.