Urban Form Relationships with Youth Physical Activity

Abstract

This article summarizes and synthesizes empirical research on relationships between youth physical activity and urban form across several disciplines, for a planning audience. It highlights how physical activity is characterized, introduces ecological theories of physical activity behavior, provides a conceptual model of interactions between urban form and other influences on youth physical activity behavior, and discusses implications of new evidence for future research and policy. Further research is needed to address several gaps and inconsistencies across studies and to build on recent methodological developments. Despite the limitations of existing research, it is evident that urban form can either serve to constrain or promote physical activity. Urban form interventions have the potential to result in lasting influences on the behavior of large populations of youth.