Years ago, people walked to school, to the store, to a local park or to a friend's house. Physical activity has been increasingly designed out of our daily lives, and America is facing an obesity epidemic and a myriad of other health problems as a result. The way we design our communities directly affects residents' daily activities.

Over the years, there have been a number of federally funded programs to promote the design and development of outdoor spaces and environments, although recent budget cuts have greatly harmed them. Among those programs are the programs in the Land and Water Conservation Fund (L&WCF), which includes the Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR) and stateside grants. Programs within the Transportation reauthorization bills including transportation enhancements, funding for recreational trails, bicycle and pedestrian funding and safety programs are additional examples of such initial activities.

Every national assessment of healthier living has identified the importance of exercise and recreational opportunities yet it has become clear that Americans are not active enough. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2003, approximately three quarters of Americans did not meet recommended Guidelines for vigorous physical activity; roughly one quarter of Americans did not participate in any leisure time physical activity at all.

The Role of the Landscape Architect

Landscape architects are practitioners of urban design and revitalization, site planning, land use policy, and community master planning. In addition to designing the places in which we live, work and play, they also work with public officials, developers and homeowners to:

• Transform existing facilities, like streets, parks, plazas and public open spaces into safe, attractive, functional amenities for the benefit of the community.
• Enhance and complement other park and recreation programs, leading to a more integrated community-wide recreation system.
• Encourage communities to promote housing that is mixed with other land uses that afford residents the ability to live, learn, work, shop and play in a healthy, affordable, and walkable setting.
• Protect and enhance natural, cultural and scenic resources and avoid environmental degradation by respecting ecological systems and landscape character.
• Design educational facilities that are available for appropriate community activities and recreation and are well connected to communities by sidewalks, bike trails and transit service, as well as roadways.
• Ensure that residents of all ages and levels of mobility have full access to transportation networks.

The American Society of Landscape Architects encourages creating or improving access to places for physical activity within our communities, including parks, recreational facilities, bicycle paths, walking trails, and sidewalks. Proper planning for the ways in which we travel locally will also help to reduce sprawl. Communities should be designing to be attractive, safe, and healthy.