Active Living Approaches by Local Government
Executive Summary
Source: International City/County Management Association
Abstract: The trend toward an increasingly sedentary society costs local governments in numerous ways, and they have a vested interest in addressing it. Active living -- or the integration of physical activity into daily routines -- is one innovative approach to making communities healthier. In the Spring of 2004, the National Association of Counties (NACo) Center for Sustainable Communities and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) jointly designed a survey to understand how local government leaders view their role in enabling active living in communities. The goal was to understand leaders' level of awareness about active living, their barriers to making communities more activity friendly, and their greatest needs. This paper discusses the results of surveys and contains recommendations for local governments.
