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Fitness trails and green


gyms that can be accessed on foot or by bike could be healthy assets for any town


including a conference in London next month – to address the serious health issues facing us, brought on by a lack of physical exercise and poor diet. It aims to be a catalyst for change, fi nding new links and connecting aspects of the planning system, health service and the built environment sector, both public and private, where few currently exist. So as the above testifi es, there’s


now a plethora of advice, guidance and campaigns around improving our environment to benefi t our health and wellness.


Theory into practice So how is all this manifesting itself in practice? Initiatives so far range from the quirky – such as designing stairs to look like piano keys – to more


August 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


grandiose schemes such as the High Line in New York, US, where the old elevated railway track in lower Manhattan has been resurfaced and turned into a green walkway. Meanwhile the Movement for Liveable


London campaign is aiming for a more pleasant and healthy city by changing the way people move around it. This sits in line with Sport England’s Active Design report, which talks about linking popular


“everyday activity destinations” – so that’s shops, schools, doctors’ surgeries and main workplaces – via cyclepaths and good, pedestrian-friendly walkways. Another nice example is Living Streets’


Fitter for Walking programme, funded through the Big Lottery’s Wellbeing Programme, which has provided support and information to residents and


promoted small-scale enhancements to streets in selected city areas across the UK. Increases in walking were recorded within almost all the targeted areas.


Connecting the existing network Now, when we build anything new, we need to be aware of the enormous possibilities out there, and how even small changes to design can have a huge knock-on effect in terms of getting people active. But equally, we must not lose sight of the facilities we already have and how we can integrate them into the brave new world of active design, ensuring they are both viable and sustainable. For example, the facilities laid out


in our traditional recreation grounds during the mid-20th century – typically


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 53


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AMMENTORP PHOTOGRAPHY


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