Healthy living environments create healthy physical activity-related habits
Many people want to be more physically active but find it difficult in their daily lives. ELEVATE is a collaboration between universities, companies, and public partners that envisions to make cities healthier places by supporting active living. The project examines how streets and neighborhoods can better encourage physical activity behaviors, using artificial intelligence, smartphone-based mobility data, and input from residents.
Physical inactivity is a growing public health concern. In the Netherlands, less than half of adults meet the national guideline of 150 minutes of physical activity per week. People of lower socioeconomic status are often less physically active and have poorer health. Creating physical and natural environments that support physical activity, for example through safe, green, and pleasant streets, can make a difference. Yet, there is still limited knowledge about which specific environmental characteristics encourage physical activity and how to design cities that benefit everyone. ELEVATE helps to fill this gap.
ELEVATE collects data in Amsterdam, where participants use their smartphones to record where and how much they move during daily life. Street-view images and artificial intelligence are used to measure how streets look. In co-created workshops, residents and stakeholders share their experiences and ideas. These insights are combined to develop a digital tool that suggests ways to redesign streets and neighborhoods to promote physical activity.
By the end of the project, ELEVATE will provide practical design recommendations and a tool that cities and citizens can use to plan healthier environments. Together, these results will help make Dutch cities more active, inclusive, and sustainable.
