Fast Fact Library

Neighborhood design, namely walkability, may contribute to significantly more overall physical activity of residents. In walkable neighborhoods, the increase in walking for errands amounted to 70 more minutes of...

Saelens, Brian E., James F. Sallis, Jennifer B. Black, and Diana Chen. (2003) Neighborhood-based differences in physical activity: An environment scale evaluation. American Journal of Public Health 93(9), 1552-1559.

A review of 10 studies suggests that creating or enhancing access to places for physical activity, such as fitness centers or trails, combined with informational outreach, such as training on equipment or health...

Howze, Elizabeth H., Kenneth E. Powell, Elaine J. Stone, and Mummy W. Rajab. The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity: A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22, no. 4S (2002): 73-107.

Results of a study of 200 schools in South Carolina's Lowcountry showed that students ages 5 to 15 are four times more likely to walk to schools built before 1983 than to those built more recently.

Kouri, Christopher. Wait for the Bus: How Lowcountry School Site Selection and Design Deter Walking to School and Contribute to Urban Sprawl. A Report Prepared for the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League. Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University (November 1999). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED451681.