Of Physical Environment and Physical Activity

In her introduction to Progressive Planning's issue on the Active City, Ann Forsyth reflects on the recent "buzz" over designing healthy cities. The issue of the Active City "examines the potential of this renewed interest in the physical city to create positive changes in the built environment," as well as "some of the limits of the current debate." She writes: "Overall, the relationship between the physical environment and physical activity is a complex one, obscured by some of the recent hype. Obviously the environment does matter to the health of the public....But how the environment matters is a complex issue. It is not a simple case of if you build it, they will exercise."

Thanks to Connie Chung