In an aim to support healthier lifestyles for local residents, Baw Baw Shire Council has introduced the Active by Design project.
Located an hour east of Melbourne, Council implemented the project in response to increasing rates of heart disease and obesity created by the community fragmentation that comes with suburban living.
Introduced in July 2009, the project aims to create positive heart health outcomes for all community members by ensuring that newly created subdivisions allow residents to incorporate activity into their daily lives.
It also aims to embed accessible destinations within these communities that are attractive and provide people with opportunities to be active and social.
Baw Baw Shire Council’s Manager Recreation Kerry Irwin said the project aims to promote a healthy lifestyle by ensuring that sub divisions and developments meet certain guidelines.
“The developments are assessed for particular qualities, connectivity to areas that people want to go to, such as schools, parks and so forth, and accessibility for pedestrians of promoting a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
“Developments must pass a checklist to make sure they fit into the Active by Design specifications, these positive balance sheets will then ensure health benefits for everyone involved.”
The Active by Design project includes:
- Baw Baw Shire principles
of active living - a toolkit that makes it
relatively simple for
Council staff to assess
planning permit
applications for new
subdivisions on planning
for active living - a toolkit that makes
it relatively simple for
developers to meet Clause
56 of Healthy by Design
and Council requirements
of planning for active
living. - recommendations to
Council on construction
standards to reflect Active
by Design - community consultation
- training sessions for
Council staff, Councillors,
developers and their
design teams and
interested community
members - evaluation of new
subdivisions before and
after new residents move
in.
The project’s long term aims include reversing the current downward trend in participation in walking, cycling and playing, while encouraging motivation in individuals to use the environment created.
