The Built Environment, Physical Activity, and Obesity

This chapter examines relationships between the urban built environment and physical activity in the US urban context. It focuses on the specific linkages between the built environment and moderate physical activity, including walking and cycling, and considers the role of socio-demographic factors in shaping this relationship. Physical Activity and Health was a response to national changes in obesity trends, which had become evident by the mid-1990s. Significant monetary costs to the US health care system have also been linked to obesity. In contrast, each one additional kilometer walked daily is associated with a 4.8% reduction in the likelihood of obesity. In terms of buildings—in considering their configuration, location, type, and use—pedestrian-oriented built environments require high concentration, and close proximity between buildings and various daily activities. Transportation research has recognized that a more balanced and fine-grained mix of land uses—the integration of residential, retail, commercial, and public uses—can reduce distances between destinations and promote non-motorized travel.