Walkability and the built environment: Increasing physical activity levels and improving heart health for people living in Australia

This evidence paper provides research and recommendations to embed heart health in built environment outcomes. For more than a decade, the National Heart Foundation of Australia (Heart Foundation) has recognised the important link between heart health, physical activity and the built environment where people live, study, work and play. This evidence paper builds on our previous work and the 2009 position statement, Built environment and walking.1
In this updated paper, we bring together the most recent evidence on built environment features that support walking for both transport and recreation. We also highlight specific considerations for priority populations including school-aged children, older adults, people living with disability, people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage and those living in regional and remote communities.
We discuss a range of environmental factors influencing walking and heart health that extend beyond traditional considerations of walkable built environments. These include access to green and blue spaces, exposure to climate-related risks and air pollution, and the concentration of unhealthy
food outlets. We also discuss the potential economic benefits of improving walkability, highlight the importance of community advocacy in creating more walkable neighbourhoods, and emphasise the need to advocate for advances in urban planning and city-wide transport reforms to build healthier communities.
The evidence and recommendations provided in this paper are for built environment industry practitioners, policymakers and other key decision-makers across all levels of government, health professionals, researchers and community members to consider the health benefits of walkable local neighbourhoods.
This evidence paper was produced as part of the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Active by Design program, which is supported by the Australian Government.