Designing for Active Living
Green infrastructure can promote exercise and active living.
Have you ever enjoyed a walk around a new neighborhood, explored a new bike path or engaged in a sport on local green space? Green infrastructure can encourage healthy outdoor activity like walking, biking, and playing outdoors by expanding green spaces with attractive green infrastructure; and/or replacing impervious surfaces with vegetation for play and exercise areas. Below are opportunities to integrate green infrastructure through activbe spaces, corridors, comfort and usability.
ACTIVE SPACES | Harmonious landscaping and increased foliage draws community members outdoors. Creating pathways around and through green infrastructure, when possible, encourages walking, running, and biking. Consider installing outdoor fitness equipment next to attractive green infrastructure.
CORRIDORS | Connecting existing corridors with new green infrastructure creates safe, relaxing passages for pedestrians to move through their neighborhoods while feeling connected to nature. Creating pathways or trail networks that connect green infrastructure to parks or forested spaces, or existing trail networks provides more spaces for people to walk, run, and have a nicer commute. Trees can shield property from high-traffic roads and industrial sites to make outdoor recreation more inviting.
COMFORT | Prioritizing the addition of shade trees promotes cooler temperatures for outdoor recreation in the summer. Choose trees and plants that are low-pollen and low-VOC emitting that won't aggravate allergies and exacerbate asthma.
USABILITY | Placing green infrastructure near fields or pavement used for play areas can prevent or lessen flooding in those areas which allows students to play and exercise in those areas sooner after rainfall. Utilizing stormwater infrastructure such as EPIC systems can preserve turf fields and reduce nuisance flooding.
Research Spotlight
“Increased greenery in an area positively correlates to increased physical activity and improved physical health outcomes, even in small-scale projects like pocket parks.”
- Robinson, Barton et al. “Green Infrastructure and Health: A Literature Review.” National Recreation and Parks Association, July 2019.
“The mere sight of green space, including green infrastructure, improves cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and improving heart rate variability, an effect that is magnified as biodiversity increases and is measurable on ECGs.”
- Robinson, Barton et al. “Green Infrastructure and Health: A Literature Review.” National Recreation and Parks Association, July 2019.