Stepping Up Active Transportation in Community Health Improvement Plans
Active transportation, such as biking or walking to work, can build physical activity into the day and contribute to health.  The purpose of this analysis was to determine which approaches to improving physical activity through active transportation have been included in CHIPs and understand local health department characteristics related to inclusion of these approaches.

Developing Core Capabilities for Local Health Agencies to Engage in Land Use and Transportation Decision Making
Local policy decisions guiding how local roads, walkways and parks are designed
can greatly influence community physical activity opportunities. Ten capabilities were identified as important for public health stakeholders to engage in local land use and transportation decision making to improve active transportation opportunities.There are actions that health agencies of varying sizes can take to improve community physical activity opportunity.

Exploring Contributions of Local Health Departments in Physical Activity Policy Decision-Making
Regular physical activity is important for health and well-being. Local communities can increase opportunities for walking and bicycling by making local decisions and policies that enhance streets, sidewalks, trails, public transportation infrastructure, parks and other recreational facilities.This study identified seven potential local health department contributions where local health departments can leverage their strengths to engage in land-use and transportation policy decision-making and foster collaborations with other sectors.

Local Health Engagement in Community Physical Activity Policy 
Everyday walking and bicycling offer sustainable ways for people to meet recommended physical activity levels. Making communities more walk- and bicycle-friendly may require changing land use and transportation policy and systems. Local health departments that want to increase physical activity in their communities need to engage in these areas. tThis study identfies strategies for local health departments to engage in community physical activity policy, and organizations the strategies by health department size. [Photo: www.pedbikeimages.org/Laura Sandt]

Walking Habits Among Older Adults in Boston Area Neighbhorhoods
Older adults can benefit from regular physical activity, such as walking. Older adults walk for recreation, including exercise. They also walk for utilitarian reasons (for a purpose), such as to go to a store, library, or post office. Understanding why older adults walk, or why they do not walk, can help public health initiatives promote regular walking. This study found that the walking habits of older adults vary by neighborhood and walking conditions. Older adults were more likely to walk to the store, post office, or hospital if these places were in their neighborhood. In contrast, exercise walking did not seem to depend on any measureable neighborhood chracteristics.

Characteristics of Neighbhorhoods that Influence the Physical Activity of Latino Adults in Massachusetts
Latinos in the United States have high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Moving more and sitting less can help people reduce their risk of developing these conditions. The Latino adults in this study were likely to meet the physical activity guidelines of walking more than 150 minutes per week if the neighborhood was more walkable, such as with sidewalks. Adults were more sedentary if they did more things with neighbors. It is important to note that the study did not find that there was an association between the physical characteristics of a neighborhood and time spent sitting.