Promoting walking is a safe and effective way to increase population levels of physical activity.  to increase walking, a whole-of-community approach is required that combines multiple-level strategies: public education, changes to the built environment and strategies that create a positive social environment.

Walking for recreation and walking for transport are influenced by different features of the environment.  Walking for transport is associated with living in neighbourhoods that have connected street networks, good access to destinations and public transport, and higher residential densities.

Neighbourhood aesthetics and access to facilities, parks and beaches tend to be associated with increased walking for recreation.  there are considerable opportunities for the health and other sectors to collaborage to promote walking and improve the walkability of neighbourhoods.  This includes advocating the need for healhty planning policies for new developments, educating state and local governments, developers and planners about the built enviroment features that facilitate walking, and promoting walking to the general public.

The Built Environment and Walking
The built environment is directly associated with physical activity, particularly walking. To encourage and facilitate walking for transport and walking for recreation, the Heart Foundation makes recommendations for adult Australians, the health sector, governments and planners that include changes to the built environment and multi-level strategies, such as public education.

For more information, see our position statement below. Position statement. The built environment and walking Download  

Walkability Tool
A key element in the Heart Foundation's Championing Hearts 2008-2012 Strategic Plan is to improve the opportunities for active living.  This includes working with governement and industry to develop and market products and services that improve community design to increase walking. 

A major element of the strategy is to develop a series of resources and tools that aim to increase the communit's awareness and understanding of the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, particularly walking in order to facilitate change.

An integrat part of this pool of resources is a community advocacy resource - the Walkability Tool - that assists the public to assess the Walkability of their local neighbourhood and participate in community level advocacy on the Walkability of their community.

The Heart Foundation has commissioned consultants to develop and pilot a Walkability Tool that will allow the public to advocate on the Walkability of their community.

Aim of the project
The aim is to develop an evidence-based Walkability Tool that will assist consumers to assess the Walkability of their local neighbourhood.

Use of the resource
It is expected the Walkability Tool will be used, inconjunction with other resurces to:

• raise community awareness of the realtionship between the built environment and walking
• assist community members to assess the Walkability of their local neighbourhood for recreation, exercise and transport
• assist community members to advocate for changes to their neighbourhoods to make them more awalkable.

Outcomes of the project

• A report on the literature review, consultation findings and recommendations for the format, content and useability of the Heart Foundation's Walkability Tool.
• A draft Walkability Tool is developed and piloted.
• A formative eveluation report summarising the findings from the pilot of the Walking Tool
• The final Walkability Tool was launched by the Heart Foundation in March 2011