 A healthy community makes it easier for families to access healthy foods and include physical activity into their daily lives. Healthy communities are shaped by all the human-made places and spaces: this is often called the “built environment.”
Where we live, learn, work, and play impacts our health. Chronic diseases, such as obesity are influenced by the built environment.
Characteristics of the built environment that make the healthy choice the easy choice include
- Walkable and bikeable neighbourhoods
- Public transit
- Parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces
- Healthy food environments
- Safety
Three target areas to improve the built environment include
- Active transportation and public transit
- Activity friendly recreational environments
- Land use planning
To learn more about what makes a community healthy, click here. |
