Active Living


Strategies for Active Living

Support development of the Built Environment to increase access and use of community infrastructure(s).

Activity Description
Active Living Policy Contribute to the creation or implementation of state, regional, or local policies that create safer, more accessible, and/or more walkable communities.
Walking, Biking, and Transit Networks Contribute to the creation or implementation of infrastructure that improves the walking, biking, and/or transit system or environment within or between communities.
Active Transportation Encourage active transportation behavior with partnering organizations (those managing bikeshare, scooters, etc.) and among SNAP-eligible residents.
Development of Parks, Trails and other Resources Support development of new spaces to encourage participation in regular physical activity.
Community Engagement Engage residents in SNAP-Ed eligible communities in the process and planning using consulting, involving and collaborating techniques.

Increase usability and access to physical activity resources and community programming.

Activity Description
Improve Usability and Access to Community Resources Increase usability and access to community physical activity resources by improving space features, amenities, incivilities, or access.
Shared Use Agreements Develop a written agreement between agencies to allow communities to access resources to be physically active.
Social Support Networks Establish/support physical activity groups for adults through sustainable partnerships with community organizations.
Community Engagement Engage residents in SNAP-Ed eligible communities in the process and planning using consulting, involving and collaborating techniques.

Tools for Active Living

Displaying the most recent 21 of 41 total tools.

How to Organize – Walking Club

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Follow these four simple steps, andy you'll be on your way to plotting a course with your new Walking Club.

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Safe Routes to School: Approaches to Support Children Walking and Bicycling to School Brochure

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This illustrated roadmap outlines thirteen policy options that can help make Safe Routes to School a permanent part of our communities. The accompanying brochure breaks down the policy options even further.

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Safe Routes to School Guide

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This guide is a comprehensive reference manual designed to support the development of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. It provides links to other SRTS publications and training resources. It contains several chapters about specific topics of a SRTS program and is an “all-inclusive” guide.

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Best Practices for Physical Activity: A Guide to Help Children Grow Up Healthy

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Nemours Health and Prevention Services created these physical activity guidelines to help promote and support quality physical activity for children and youth.

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Walking School Bus

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This tool aims to help get kids more physically activity on their way to school. This resource identifies areas to work on in order to get a walking school bus in your community which includes where to start, reaching more children, identifying potential routes, finalizing logistics and kicking off the program. To learn more, please visit: http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/

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Complete Streets Talking Points: A Factsheet about Healthier Street Design

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This fact sheet provides talking points and information to use when advocating for healthier street design.

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Complete Streets Talking Points: A Factsheet about Healthier Street Design – Spanish

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This fact sheet provides talking points and information to use when advocating for healthier street design.

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Developing a Joint Use Agreement: A Checklist of Issues to Consider

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This checklist is designed to identify issues to consider when developing a joint use agreement to share existing facilities.

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Model Joint Use Agreements

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The National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) developed model joint use agreements to aid the development of such agreements. There is no one model joint use agreement and there is no single method to develop an agreement, but these are a great start.

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Getting Students Active through Safe Routes to School: Policies and Action Steps for Education Policymakers and Professionals

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This resource guide is intended for education policymakers, administrators and personnel at the state, school district, and individual school levels. It provides a detailed examination of the most up-to-date and relevant research linking physical activity and academic achievement, as well as the current rates of activity among school-aged youth. Common challenges and obstacles faced by schools—such as transportation costs, safety and liability issues—are discussed, as well as ways Safe Routes to School programs can help to mitigate these issues.

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Getting the Wheels Rolling: A Guide to Using Policy to Create Bicycle Friendly Communities

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This guide provides a roadmap to making all types of communities bicycle friendly. This guide helps policy makers figure out where to start, and spells out how to effectively use policy to promote bicycling.

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Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-Income Schools and Communities: A Resource Guide for Volunteers and Professionals

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Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs and projects help schools and communities improve safety, and get more children walking and bicycling to and from school. This resource guide focuses on schools and communities where at least half of students or community residents are low-income; it is intended to fill that gap.

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Let’s Ride: 4 Requirements for a Bikeable Community

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This infographic outlines a few of the many strategies that can help get people bicycling around town.

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Move this Way: Making Neighborhoods more Walkable and Bikeable

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This report explains how to use one set of tools – zoning and subdivision codes – to make communities more walkable and bikeable. It was designed to assist public health department professionals and advocates in their efforts to revise their local codes, but it may also be useful to other stakeholders routinely involved with updating and revising zoning and subdivision codes, including elected officials, planners, and local advocates.

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On the Move: Safe Routes to School Policies in Rural School Districts

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This resource calls out specific approaches and tools that may be particularly helpful for rural schools, exploring elements of the Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook. It walks through why safe routes matter, how to succeed with safe routes, and policies that support walking and biking to schools.

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Open Streets

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The Open Streets Project is collaboration between the Alliance for Biking & Walking and The Street Plans Collaborative. The goal of the project is to share information about open streets and increase the number, size, and frequency of initiatives occurring across North America. The Open Streets Project includes a published guide and this interactive website, which allows advocates and new open streets organizers to explore open streets efforts in other peer cities. To learn more, please visit: http://openstreetsproject.org/
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Playing Smart: A National Joint Use Toolkit

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This toolkit is a nuts-and-bolts guide designed to help school staff and other community leaders craft and implement joint use agreements. Complete with model agreement language and success stories from communities around the country. This toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of the most common ways to finance joint use arrangements, and guidance on how to overcome obstacles that may arise in negotiating and enforcing a joint use agreement.

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Safe Routes to School: Approaches to Support Children Walking and Bicycling to School Roadmap

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This illustrated roadmap outlines thirteen policy options that can help make Safe Routes to School a permanent part of our communities. The accompanying brochure breaks down the policy options even further.

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Benefits of a Written Shared-Use Agreement

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This fact sheet discusses the benefits of well written shared-use agreements.

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Go4Life

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Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH is designed to help older adults fit exercise and physical activity into their daily life. This resource explores the kinds of exercises and physical activity that improve health and physical ability.
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Key Contacts for Active Living

Jacques Watson

Jacques Watson

Active Living Specialist