Built Environment and Active Transportation

“The built environment can positively (or negatively) influence many public health issues such as physical activity, healthy eating, mental health, injury prevention, and health equity. The built environment is part of our physical surroundings and includes the buildings, parks, schools, road systems, and other infrastructure that we encounter in our daily lives. Researchers have found convincing evidence that people who live in communities characterized by mixed land use (e.g. with stores in walking distance of homes); well-connected street networks; and high residential density are more active than those who live in communities designed for automobile dependence.”

Public Health Agency of Canada

“The built environment can help, or hinder, active transportation opportunities. Active transportation refers to any form of human-powered transportation – walking, cycling, and wheelchair use, in-line skating or skateboarding. There are many ways to engage in active transportation, whether it is walking to the bus stop, or cycling to school/work.”

Public Health Agency of Canada

What you will find

These resources provide Canadian and international information to help you plan approaches to address the built environment and active transportation. For more information, please visit the Best Practices section for interventions related to the built environment and active transportation.

Data

A first step to planning approaches to address the built environment and active transportation is to understand more about them through surveillance data:

Canadian Data

Built Environment

Active Transportation

Provincial/Territorial Data

Alberta

British Columbia

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Quebec

International

Europe

United Kingdom

Australia

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

United States

World Health Organisation

Government Strategies (Frameworks, Action Plans, etc.)

Canadian Strategies

Provincial/Territorial/Regional Strategies

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Quebec

International Strategies

Australia

Europe

France

  • Plan d’action mobilités actives (PDF document)(French only). Framework to support the development and implementation of a shared vision and commitment concrete and sustainable solutions for active urban transportation modes taking into account diverse elements of safety, health, tourism, sustainable development, urban planning, training, education, and sport. Ministère de l’écologie, du développement durable et de l’énergie (2014).

Netherlands

Norway

Scotland

United Kingdom

United States

WHO

Guidance

Canadian Guidance

Built Environment

Active Transportation

Provincial/Territorial

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Quebec

International Guidance

Australia

United Kingdom

United States

World Health Organization

Systematic Reviews of the Research