Active Design Guidelines

Active Design Guidelines were developed in partnership with five New York City Departments as well as prominent architectural and planning academics and agencies. The guidelines are based on the idea that architects and urban reformers were able to assist in eradicating infectious diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis in the 19th and 20th centuries by improving the design of buildings, parks, and neighborhoods. The New York City Department of Design and Construction (the DDC) cites research suggesting that evidence-based architectural and urban design strategies can lead to continual physical activity and healthy eating.

The guidelines give architects and urban designers various strategies to develop outdoor spaces (such as neighborhoods and streets) that promote physical activity, building design strategies that encourage ‘active living,’ and commonalities between active design and sustainable design projects. For example, one strategy focused on children's play areas recommends creating or preserving natural terrain, as children who played in natural terrain scored higher on physical fitness tests.

The goal of the Active Design Guidelines is to provide architects and urban designers with tools to create healthier buildings, urban spaces, and outdoor places based on current academic research and best practices.

The guidelines were launched in January 2010 and have not been evaluated at this time.