a Guide to Developing a

Strategic Plan to Increase

Walking and Biking by Older

Adults in Your Community

Creating Communities

for Active Aging

Creating Communities

for Active Aging

a Guide to Developing a

Strategic Plan to Increase

Walking and Biking by Older

Adults in Your Community

PREFACE

Most people are familiar with the saying that an ounce of

prevention is worth a pound of cure. But not everyone knows that

prevention is just as important for older adults as it is for the

young. Prevention means investing now to protect health in the

future; and one of the most effective ‘investment strategies’ is

regular exercise. Americans, as a whole, do not get enough

physical activity to protect their health. Of all age groups, older

Americans are the least likely to participate in regular exercise. 

People of all ages can benefit from regular, moderate physical activity. A 67-year old who takes a brisk

30-minute walk most days, and does stretching and strengthening exercises one or two days a week, will

not only increase her chances of living a longer life, she will also be less likely to develop the chronic

diseases—from diabetes to depression—that can occur in later life.

Yet many Americans live in places where it’s not easy to get those recommended 30 minutes of brisk

walking or riding a bike every day. The technological progress of the 20th century has had a significant side

effect: sedentary lifestyles. This is reflected in the communities where we live. Many suburbs were built

without sidewalks; and with houses and services spaced far apart, even the most trivial errand requires the

use of a car. Cars, computers, and televisions have made it easy to forego regular physical activity. 

As our population is increasingly comprised of older adults, there is a growing imperative to make

communities more activity-friendly. Adding sidewalks to suburban

neighborhoods may be a big project, but often there are simpler changes

communities can make so it is easier to walk and bike. 

Of course, many forms of physical activity, such as swimming or fitness classes,

are beneficial. This document focuses on walking and biking because they are

simple and easy to do for most older adults. While the ideas presented here

have older adults in mind, most of them can benefit all ages.

By:

• defining some goals, 

• bringing a variety of people to the table, 

• performing an evaluation of your community, and 

• developing a plan for how to make changes, 

you may find that there are many ways your community can become more

pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. That process is, in a nutshell, a simple

version of strategic planning. 

This document is a guide for you to use to create a strategic plan to

engage the older adults in your community in more physical activity.

Whether you live in a big city or a small town, a suburban neighborhood

or on a farm, there are ways to make it easier for older adults in your

community to walk and bike and be active and independent.

First, the guide contains some goals and terms for your group to discuss

and adapt as you develop your own community’s plan. You can tailor

your own strategic plan to meet the needs of the place where you live

and the people who live there. 

You will find suggestions on involving key stakeholders from your community

in the process of finding the obstacles and prospects. One of the keys to a

successful plan is making sure you have input from a wide range of

interested people. 

1

One third of older adults don’t

engage in regular physical activity.

Percentage of Persons Age 65 or Older Who

Reported No Leisure-Time Physical Activity

1985 1990 1995

Total: 40.0% 39.4% 34.4%

Men: 33.9% 31.5% 27.8%

Women: 44.3% 45.0% 39.2%

Source: National Health Interview Survey.

What are the barriers to walking in 

our neighborhood?

➣ No sidewalk on Glenn Drive

➣ Trail beside Kearney Lake is often muddy

➣ Crossing Robie Street is terrifying!
2

Using the process and resources outlined in this document, your community can assess the opportunities

for and barriers to increased walking and biking by older adults. Perhaps your community already has a

walking trail, but you’ve noticed that mostly young people use it. Would providing a few benches along

the way make it more appealing for older adults? 

In order to plan, you will need to find out how easy or difficult it is right now for the older members of

the community to walk and bike. This document lists some common obstacles faced by older adults who

want to be active. To give you a head start, it also provides you with suggestions for further reading and

contacts you might use. The guide also contains a catalog of ideas and strategies for helping older

adults be more active and mobile. 

Once you’ve identified what prevents people from getting out, and what helps them, you’ll want to decide

what changes you can make right away, and which ones will take time. For instance, those low-hanging

tree branches that make it hard to use the sidewalk can be trimmed next month, but it may take longer

to make sure that the new development being built in your town has sidewalks! Either way, it’s all work

towards the same goal: maintaining—and increasing—physical activity among older adults.

Who can use this document?

This plan is designed to be useful to a wide variety of people and communities.

Whether you are:

• a citizen—young or old—or a community planner; 

• an advocate for the aging, or a developer; 

• a local administrator, a recreation director, or a civic or non-profit group; 

this document can help guide your efforts. The only thing you need to use this

plan is a desire to create a community that enables your older residents to be

physically active, mobile, and independent for as long as possible.

The goal of this document is to help communities:

• increase the proportion of older adults participating in safe physical activity,

especially walking and bicycling; and

• preserve, and even enhance, older adults’ independence, mobility, and health.

Some terms used in this document

Before getting started, there are a few key terms to define that have very broad

uses and can lead to confusion. We’ll be talking about different types of barriers to

being physically active. One way to think about these barriers is to divide them

into personal and environmental. By personal we mean internal, something about

you. For example, a personal barrier might be feeling self-conscious about being

out of shape. An environmental barrier is something external: you’re ready to go

out walking, but there aren’t any sidewalks near where you live. 

Another term to clarify is mobility, an aspect of ‘active aging.’ To some people,

mobility refers primarily to driving a car; thus, maintaining mobility means making

sure people can drive for as long as possible. To others, mobility can mean the

ability to move around safely on your own, whether in your kitchen or to the

grocery store. These two definitions may seem at odds with each other. But for

the purposes of this document, mobility means getting around, and is part of

active aging. It means being able to walk down to the corner and buy a newspaper,

and it means being able to drive to the next town to visit a friend. Mobility can

even mean being able to play a game of catch with your grandchildren. At any

age, all of these types of activities contribute to quality of life.

What kinds of exercises should

we do?

Four types of exercises are important for

older adults.

1. Endurance activities are those that

increase our heart rate and breathing

for an extended period of time. Ideally,

we should do 30 minutes of endurance

activities at least five days a week.

2. Strength exercises help build muscles

and are particularly important for preventing fractures among older adults.

We should do some simple strengthbuilding exercises at least twice a week.

3. Balance exercises, which can be incorporated into strength exercises, help

prevent falls.

4. Stretching helps keep us flexible with

more freedom of movement.We should

do stretching exercises most days

before/after exercise.

More information:Exercise: A Guide from the National

Institute on Aging. Available from (800) 222-2225 or

www.nih.gov/nia.
Why should older adults be more active? 

Regular, moderate exercise by older adults can help delay or prevent the onset of disabilities and many

chronic diseases, reduce the risk of falls and fractures, improve mood and relieve depression, increase

mental acuity, and perhaps increase life expectancy. However, many older Americans are not engaging in

sufficient physical activity to reap these benefits. 

Research shows that regular physical activity greatly reduces the risk of death from America’s leading

cause of death, coronary heart disease. Physical activity also reduces the risk of developing diabetes,

colon cancer, and high blood pressure.* Even people who have already developed some of these diseases

can benefit from physical activity. For example, regular activity decreases the need for insulin among

diabetics, and many scientists believe that heart disease can be reversed through exercise and a healthy

diet. Exercise can also be beneficial for people with arthritis.

In addition, several studies show that regular, moderate-intensity exercise can improve mood and

alleviate depression. For older adults, adopting an active lifestyle may help with feeling isolated. There’s

nothing like a walk around the neighborhood to help you meet your neighbors!

Increased activity can even benefit lifelong ‘couch potatoes.’ Common gains include improvements in

muscle and bone strength, balance, and energy level. Moderate physical activity can help prevent falls, a

common problem for older adults. In fact, just getting started—taking a short walk, for example—can help

you get in shape to be more active. 

Moving around in our communities—to run errands such as buying groceries, visiting the bank or the

post office, or meeting a friend for lunch—is something most of us do by car. But as we age and our

priorities shift, we may want, or need, to do some of these things without getting behind the wheel or

making a long trip. Studies show that over 80% of Americans want to remain in their own homes for as

long as possible as they age. By being physically active on a regular basis, and having services within

walking distance, older adults can help maintain this independence and rely less on others to help them

with their daily activities.

Why should communities provide opportunities for physical activity? 

Researchers in a number of fields—such as urban planning, transportation, and public health—are

beginning to find that the physical environment (the neighborhood) has a strong effect on whether or

not members of a community walk or bike. For a long time, many of us assumed that whether or not a

person was physically active depended on that individual’s willpower

or interest. And while interest certainly plays a part, we are now

learning that places where it’s easier and safer to walk and bike tend

to have much higher rates of these activities than places where

it’s difficult. Increased physical activity may also improve the

pocketbooks of older adults by providing an alternative to more

expensive modes of travel.

Many communities are beginning to realize that sidewalks,

bike paths, and crosswalks are not just ‘extras,’ but essential

investments in the health and safety of their residents.

Making sure our neighborhoods provide opportunities for

everyone to be safely active not only enriches quality of life

but also improves health and increases longevity. In addition,

steps taken to improve the environment for older adults are

beneficial to many others. For example, making sidewalks safe and

accessible helps people in wheelchairs, parents pushing strollers,

and young children walking to school, as well as older adults.

Increased foot traffic can boost sales at local retail businesses,

and there is evidence that property values increase in

communities where residents are able to walk and bike easily.

* U.S.Dept.of Health and Human Services.Physical Activity and Health:A Report of the Surgeon General.Atlanta, GA:U.S.Dept.of Health and Human Services,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; 1996. 3
DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN

Define goals: what do you and your community want to achieve or change? 

As you begin your planning process, it will help to articulate your community’s goals. From these broad

goals, more specific ‘action items’ will evolve. In addition, defining goals in a clear and straightforward

manner often helps clarify what exactly you plan to do.

Who are ‘older adults?’

Different people define ‘older’ differently. One thing we have in

common is that our perspectives on aging change over time.

As you go about creating a more activity-friendly environment

for the adults where you live, spend

some time with them thinking about

who they are in your community, and

what their particular needs might be.

Do you want simply to increase the

number of older adults in your community who participate in regular exercise? Or

perhaps you have a more specific target in mind: providing more places to walk,

for example, or protecting elderly pedestrians by installing traffic islands on a

street where many older adults cross? Or do you have a certain group in mind,

such as increasing daily walking among Medicare beneficiaries who have diabetes?

In any case, agreeing on your goal or

goals helps focus your efforts and

bring cohesion among those working

on the project. As you establish these

general goals, talk with other residents

and community organizations so they

can become involved.

Who can help? 

“All communities have older residents. And those who are not older, if lucky,

will be older one day...the features of a community that make it a livable

place for older people benefit all.”* 

It is often said, and is worth repeating, that the most successful efforts

to make change involve a wide array of participants or stakeholders.

The more people from different walks of life you can involve in

creating and carrying out your strategic plan, the more confident

you can be that you will benefit a broad array of people in your

community. Some committee members may be obvious

choices, such as members of community groups that promote

walking, or representatives from interested local government

agencies. Some are

from groups you may

not have considered,

such as a member of

the local chamber of

commerce or a law

enforcement officer.

The goal of this document is to

help communities:

➣ Increase the proportion of older adults

participating in safe physical activity,

especially walking and bicycling

➣ Preserve,and even enhance,older adults’

independence,mobility,and health.

 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Strategic Planning: Key Steps

1. Define goals or mission

2. Analyze strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats

3. Establish specific goals

4. Select strategies to reach goals

5. Assign responsibility and time lines for

strategies

6. Write down plan, and distribute to

everyone involved

7. Implement plan’s strategies

8. Celebrate your success!

4

* Patricia Baron Pollak.Liveable Communities:An Evaluation Guide.Washington, DC:AARP, Public Policy Institute, 1999.p.7.

Timeline for our goals

This month: trim branches on South Street

By next spring: install benches along Inglis Street

Within the next 2 years: include bike paths when

they widen Barrington Street

What are our goals?

➣ Increase walking and biking in Alberto’s neighborhood

➣ Slow down traffic on Oxford Street—a lot of 

pedestrian injuries have happened there

➣ Establish an early morning mall-walking program

for seniors

➣ Make sure the new development builds bike paths

Work Group—Kearney Lake Trail

Bill – talk to friend at Parks Department

Karen – ask son-in-law about building raised trail at

muddy sections

Jonathan – see if lumber yard would donate materials

Fernando – research safety of raised trail – do we

need handrails?
The people you want to be sure to include in planning are,

first and foremost, older people themselves. In addition,

representatives from minority groups and different

neighborhoods may want to participate. Local business

owners, representatives from the real estate industry, and

officials from your community’s transit agency, if there is

one, can offer input and resources.

Getting started: assess the situation

To begin, it helps to have as much information as you can about your

community. This is often referred to as an ‘community assessment.’ It can be

very general, asking such questions as:

• Approximately how many older adults are live in our community?

• How many engage in regular physical activity? 

• In what types of physical activity do they participate?

• Is it easy for them to do so?

• Where are the locations of the greatest number of pedestrian injuries, 

especially among older adults?

• Who are the people who aren’t physically active?

• What are some of the reasons why those people aren’t active? 

• What resources already exist for older adults to be physically active? Are

these opportunities used? Are there resources that could be made available?

Of course, you won’t know the answers to these questions right away, and it may

take some time to find out. This is the first task in your strategic planning:

develop a list of questions and collect the information you need.

Many resources exist to help you at this stage of the process. Two examples

are the Walkability Checklist and Livable Communities: An Evaluation

Guide, by Patricia Baron Pollak, published by AARP. (See the resources

section at the end of this document for more information.) Documents such

as these are designed to help you assess your own

community and create an inventory of its assets and

shortcomings in terms of opportunities to be active. 

Typical findings from community assessments

Following is a list of common opportunities and

barriers for walking and biking for older

adults. Some of these findings may apply to

your community, and reading through them

may help you recognize some of your

community’s assets. They are grouped

into four different categories: personal

barriers, personal opportunities,

community barriers, and community

opportunities. This list is provided to

stimulate your thinking about the barriers

and opportunities in the place where you live.

Benefits of Regular 

Physical Activity*

➣ Lowers the risk of developing heart

disease, high blood pressure,

and diabetes

➣ Cuts risk of falling and bone fractures

➣ Helps manage discomfort of arthritis

➣ Helps develop and maintain strong

bones, muscles, and joints

➣ Improves mood and sense of well-being

➣ Helps control weight

 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Researchers in a number of

fields—such as urban planning,

transportation, and public

health—are finding that the

physical environment (the

neighborhood) has a strong effect

on whether or not members of a

community walk or bike.

Who can help us?

➣ Who has time? Betty, Hugh,Tom

➣ Who has expertise? Jerry, Marge, Lois

➣ Who has money? Ed, Karen

➣ Who has influence? Jose, Molly, John

➣ Whom must we include? Maris, Garry, Henry

5

* U.S.Dept.of Health and Human Services.Physical Activity and Health:A Report of the Surgeon General.Atlanta, GA:U.S.Dept.of Health and Human Services,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; 1996.
PERSONAL FACTORS 

Barriers: What factors prevent us from being active?

• Disabilities

• Perceived lack of time

• Isolation

• Depression

• Dislike of physical activity

• Poor vision

• Side effects of medications: energy level, balance, alertness

• Fears: falling, crime, health event (such as a heart attack, being

hit by a motor vehicle, stray dogs)

• Lack of information: Where do I go?

What should I bring?

• Perceived lack of social support for 

biking and walking

• Frailty, muscle weakness

• Care-taking duties

• Lack of ‘equipment’—e.g., footwear,

bicycle

• Perceived lack of energy 

Opportunities: What factors

contribute to being active?

• History of active lifestyle

• Desire for social contact

• Involvement in faith-based organizations, clubs, community centers,

etc., can offer access to programs

• Concern about weight /chronic

disease management

• Errands

• Participation in travel, 

hobbies, interests

• Desire for 

independence

• Wish to ‘keep up’ with

grandchildren, peers, etc.

• Vanity

• Desire to enjoy life

• Availability of time

Two Myths About Physical Activity

1. It has to be jogging/swimming

laps/working out at a gym.

2. I have to do it all at once.

Doctors recommend that adults engage in 30

minutes of moderate physical activity at least

five days a week,and both strength training

and flexibility training one or two days a

week. But some people think physical

activity only means vigorous exercise:

jogging,participating in an aerobics class,or

playing tennis.They’re surprised to learn that

just about anything that gets you moving

counts! Brisk walking,working in the garden,

or actively playing with your grandchildren,

are all ‘acceptable’forms of moderate

physical activity. And furthermore,you can

break it up into pieces. For example,a 20-

minute walk in the morning followed by

some simple strength-building exercises,and

another brisk 10-minute walk to the grocery

store before dinner gets you to the

recommended level!

6

What personal factors prevent us from

being more active?

Lorraine: not enough time

Bob: feels silly

Cecilia: hates exercise!

Duane: joints are too stiff

What personal factors contribute to our

being more active?

Ken: wants to keep up with the grandchildren

Bea: always feels good...once you get started

Susan: helps keep the weight off

What environmental factors prevent us

from being active?

Marian: people drive too fast near our house, and there

aren’t sidewalks

Sam: my kids will think I’m crazy

Nelson: my doctor never said anything about exercising

What environmental factors contribute to

being active?

Ned: loves walking along the river

Luella: has made a lot of new friends at the stretchand-strength classes

Jack: pharmacy, coffee shop, and hardware store are in

walking distance
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 

Barriers: What factors prevent us from being active?

• Hills, stairs

• Bad weather

• Lack of benches to rest on

• Lack of sidewalks and bicycle trails

• Broken sidewalks/uneven pavement

• Inadequate lighting 

• Social environment that doesn’t embrace physical activity

• Inadequate public transportation to neighborhood services, recreation centers

• Hazardous traffic crossings and pedestrian signals

• Aggressive drivers

• Lack of safe bicycling facilities and multi-use paths

• Shortage of community facilities, such as school gyms, nature trails, and

bike shops

• Lack of guidance from untrained/uninterested health care providers 

• Lack of reimbursement to health care providers for exercise ‘prescription’

• Lack of agency coordination and planning (between public health department,

aging services, parks department, etc.) for active environments 

• Inaccessible staircases in buildings with older residents

• Feeling isolated in neighborhood

Opportunities: What factors contribute to being active?

• Ready availability of places to walk, bike, etc.

• Easy, pleasant environment in which to walk or bike

• Presence of pedestrian crosswalks

• Stores and services in walking distance (for easy errand-running)

• Trees for shade

• Pleasant climate

• Benches

• Simple equipment: good shoes, comfortable clothing

• Access to information on both how and why to exercise

• Bicycle safety training classes

• Money saving: running errands by foot saves on gas

• Social clubs, including bike clubs and walking groups

• Affordable (no or low cost) and accessible classes

• Intergenerational programming

• Neighbors who can help if needed

• Walking/biking paths, etc., in retirement communities

• Disposable income

• Well-marked bike lanes on side streets

• Availability of shopping mall-walking programs

Using your own findings, revisit your goals. How can you make the

most out of your community’s assets?

Who are ‘Older Adults?’

Different people define ‘older’differently.

One thing we have in common is that our

perspectives on aging change over time. As

you go about creating a more activityfriendly environment for the adults where

you live, spend some time thinking about

who they are in your community, and what

their particular needs might be.

 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Key Questions

➣ How many older adults are there in

your community? Who are they?

➣ What types of physical activity do

they participate in?

➣ Is it reasonably easy for them to do so?

➣ Who are the people who aren’t

physically active? Why?

➣ What resources already exist for older

adults to be more active? Are these

opportunities used? Are there resources

that could be made available?

7
Prioritize results by categories

Once you have conducted a community assessment, you may

find you have a lot of ‘pieces’ of information, but you’re not sure

how to use your findings to plan activities to help you attain your

goal. You know that on a certain busy street the sidewalk ends

halfway down the block. You also know that older adults who use

a local walking trail have said they would use it more if there were

a few places to sit down and rest along the way. But how do you

work with this information? How do you decide what barriers to

address first, and which opportunities show the most promise?

One strategy is to group the information you have into

categories, such as cost, feasibility, or time frame. This can

often help clarify what to do next. Examples of these groups

are listed below. You may wish to sit down with your team

and fit the information you’ve gathered about your community

into such groupings as:

• Feasibility: easy to address, can be addressed, will take major

effort to address

• Cost: no-cost, inexpensive, medium-cost, costly

• Reach/Impact: would affect a lot of people, a moderate number of people, few people

• Time frame: immediate, within six months, within a year, within/over several years

• Leadership: neighborhood residents, town/city planning department, town/city parks department,

transportation authority, social service agencies, private sector (note: many initiatives may involve

shared responsibilities)

Develop strategies to achieve your goals

Your community assessment and the list of strategies in the next section can help you identify

approaches to build on community assets and reverse shortcomings. Be sure to keep your list

manageable and include a mixture of short- and longer-term (or more complex) projects. Build as

much agreement as possible among the members of your group about which strategies are most

important. Having ‘buy-in’ from a diverse array of people and organizations is essential to achieving

success with projects of this type.

As you develop a clear idea of what you want to achieve, work with your group to break each project

into clear, feasible steps. Then assign responsibility for these steps to a specific person or organization.

Agree on a realistic timeline for accomplishing each step, and get ready to launch your effort!

Measure progress and celebrate your success

An important, and often overlooked, component to any strategic plan is evaluation. It doesn’t need to

be complicated. But it’s important to include a way to measure progress towards your goals and get

feedback from the people you’re working to help. By including evaluation in your efforts, you’ll also

have information and advice to share with other communities who want to duplicate your successes.

Whether you ask your local public health department to conduct a formal evaluation, or whether you

take a survey of all the older adults out walking in the park one summer evening, you should include a

way to measure your progress as part of your plan.

One last tip: make time to celebrate your successes. Your

team will work hard. Plan a ribbon-cutting ceremony or a

team party to enjoy the results of your work and spread the

word. You may find yourself with some new volunteers to

help achieve your goals.

8

Low tree branches make it hard to walk

on Jones Street next to Bob’s Diner

Project: Trim trees

Feasibility: Easy

Cost: Low-cost

Reach: A lot of people (everyone goes to Bob’s!)

Time: Immediate

Leadership: Town; Bob’s

Uneven sidewalk on Main Street in

front of public library

Project: Fix the sidewalk

Feasibility: Can be addressed

Cost: Medium

Reach: Moderate

Time: Within six months

Responsibility: Town planning department; can

Friends of the Library help too?

How can we get feedback? 

➣ Distribute a questionnaire at the retirement community

➣ See if someone at the community college can help
STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE ACTIVE AGING

Across the nation, many communities are undergoing a renaissance. Together, citizens, businesses, and

governments are making their communities more walking- and biking-friendly. In this section, you’ll

find a list of strategies that communities have used. Some strategies may not apply to your community;

others you can adapt to your circumstances and goals; and some can be used just as they are.

Creating communities for active aging is not complex, but it will take time.

Places that were built after World War II were designed for cars. In the last 40

years, many suburbs were built without sidewalks or bike paths. Fortunately,

small changes can result in more residents biking and walking. These small

achievements can help build support for large-scale projects.

Principles behind the strategies

The strategies below are not random ideas. Many are grounded in research

findings from diverse fields. Others are just common sense. As you develop

strategies, keep in mind some basic principles.

First, people tend to walk and bike where they have pleasant and safe places to

do so. Trees, adequate street lighting, and trash removal can make a difference.

As more people are drawn outdoors, crime is less of a threat. For older adults,

the adage ‘safety in numbers’ can also mean there’s someone to get help if one of

us falls or is injured. 

At any age, the sense of social support for active lifestyles is important. Mallwalking programs are a success because friends can gather at a convenient

location, get some exercise, and even knock an errand off their list. Malls also

offer a comfortable environment in all seasons.

Similarly, although many people are busy, they will bike and walk to do errands

if paths connect homes and offices with shopping, restaurants, and services.

Active communities not only provide places for walking and biking, they connect

destinations and make it easier to fit walking and biking into busy lives.

Keep in mind the special needs of older pedestrians. Physical disabilities

(arthritis, visual and hearing impairments, aging joints, etc.) can slow

the walking pace and reflexes. Agility may be reduced. As a result,

some older pedestrians are more vulnerable, and might need such

things as benches, shaded paths, and traffic islands.

Improved crosswalks and sidewalks for older pedestrians tend to

benefit other groups. Parents with strollers and persons in

wheelchairs are two such groups. In fact, many of the

strategies listed are likely to boost safe biking and walking

among all generations.

Finally, both structural changes to neighborhoods

and other activities to promote active aging are

important. Older adults may need advice and

encouragement from physicians and physical activity

experts to begin a safe walking or biking program.

Public education campaigns can remind drivers of ways

to ensure the safety of older pedestrians.

Active communities not only

provide places for walking and

biking, they connect destinations

and make it easier to fit walking

and biking into busy lives.

 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Types of Strategies

➣ Community Design Strategies

➣ Civic Engagement Strategies

➣ Education Strategies

➣ Government Policy Changes

➣ Information Strategies

➣ Pedestrian and Bike Facilities Strategies

➣ Traffic and Transit Strategies

 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Across the nation, many

communities are undergoing a

renaissance. Together, citizens,

businesses, and governments are

making their communities more

walkable and bikeable.

9
The Catalog

The strategies below are grouped into seven categories:

community design, civic engagement, education, government

policy, information, pedestrian and bicycling facilities, and

traffic and transit. They can be undertaken by businesses, civic

groups, and non-profit social service agencies—and

governments. Strategies that involve changes to public laws or

policies will need support from residents and businesses.

The catalog uses ‘pedestrian facilities’ as a catch-all term for

physical structures for walking and biking. Sidewalks, trails, bike racks, bike lanes, crosswalks, benches,

and safety measures are some of the most common pedestrian facilities. Parks and recreation centers can

also be included in this group.

Community Design Strategies

1. Boost Visual Appeal

Plant and nurture trees 

Remove graffiti and trash

Encourage businesses and residents to plant and maintain flowers and trees

Brighten dim areas by trimming vegetation or installing lights

Install street furniture: benches, awnings for shade

Create community gardens

2. Connect People and Destinations

Connect homes with jobs, shopping, services, community centers, public transportation, recreation facilities, and schools

• Build more paths

• Remove fences or create gates though them

• Pave paths where pedestrians have made their own 

• Install pedestrian short-cuts through cul-de-sacs to tempt people to walk instead of drive

• Offer frequent crosswalks on busy streets and to locations visited by older adults,

such as doctors’ offices, libraries, or grocery stores

• Develop park corridors and transit routes that connect neighborhoods and destinations

• Place pathways to cut across city parks in addition to those on the perimeter

3. Offer Incentives for Senior Housing Developments to Promote Biking and Walking

• On-site gyms

• Accessible and inviting stairways 

• Transit services to malls and parks

• Walking groups

Civic Engagement Strategies

1. Organize Community Groups to

‘Patrol’ parks in the early evening 

Pair elders with companion walkers (of any age) for social support and safety

Lead walking groups or tours of points of historic interest 

Shovel snow and de-ice slippery sidewalks for residents unable to do this

Sponsor mall-walking programs

Convince the community’s leading employers to build or underwrite recreational facilities

Offer golf, tennis, tai chi, stretch-and-strength classes

2. Involve the Health Care Community to

Assess older adults’ health and need for physical activity

Write prescriptions for older patients to walk and bike

Refer patients to walking groups and other community resources

Review medications for impact on balance, cognitive clarity

Counsel patients on how to prevent falls 

Update Land Use/Community

Design Policies

➣ Ensure residential areas can have

service and commercial areas in

walking distance

➣ Ensure all new residential areas are

built with sidewalks and bike paths

➣ Insist on attractive building designs

that place windows and porches (or

‘eyes’) on the street

➣ Allow/encourage sidewalk cafes (may

require widening sidewalks)

➣ Protect public access for biking and

walking along community ‘treasures’

like rivers, lakes

➣ Add traffic-calming/slowing measures

to streets with a lot of pedestrians

10

We need a place to go on hot summer

days or after winter storms. To Do:

➣ Call management company at the mall—would

they sponsor an early morning walking program?

➣ Maybe Mel’s Sports Store would give a discount on

walking shoes to people who participate?

➣ Could Cecilia’s daughter’s company donate t-shirts?
3. Engage Local Businesses to

Sponsor incentive programs for seniors to start and sustain biking and

walking activities

• Free t-shirts or walking vests with reflective tape

• Coupons to reduce the cost of new walking shoes

• Two-for-one dinner coupons for people leading walking groups

• Sponsor creation of paths and facilities

Education Strategies 

1. Inform the Public About the Benefits of Walking and Biking Investments

Healthier residents/increased quality of life and healthy years

Community ‘livability’ improves – attracting new residents and visitors

Active seniors have more energy for volunteering and community involvement

Fewer pedestrian injuries 

2. Educate Older Adults About the Personal Benefits of Active Aging

Use media, public relations, and public health communications to develop 

campaigns to

• Provide information about starting to walk and bike

• Teach them how to incorporate physical activity into daily lives

• Engage them in civic groups working to create an active community

3. Inform Older Adults on How to Be Safe Pedestrians

Use bicycle helmets and other protective gear 

Stretch and warm up

Wear good shoes

Start slowly and gradually increase time

Wear light- or bright-colored clothing, reflective strips 

Use flashlights and bike lights at dusk and night

Keep music off or at a low volume

Obey traffic laws

Invite a companion to walk or bike with you

4. Teach the Public to Support Safe Walking for Older Pedestrians

Encourage – or even join – older family members and neighbors on walks and bike rides

Yield the right of way to pedestrians

Keep dogs behind a fence they cannot jump or on a secure leash

Back out cars slowly and with care

Look for bicycles before opening car doors when parked on the street

Drive ‘friendly,’ not aggressively 

Slow speed in areas with pedestrians

Government Policy Changes

1. Enforce Traffic Laws and Regulations, such as:

Traffic patterns

Pedestrian right-of-way

Red lights

Speed limits

2. Adequately Invest in Pedestrian Projects, Including Safety

Campaigns and Facilities

• Set funding targets based on community need: pedestrian injuries and

deaths, also ill health associated with inactivity

• Use federal transportation enhancement funds to develop a network

of safe pedestrian facilities

• Set performance standards for transportation agencies regarding 

bicycle and pedestrian facilities and safety

• Ensure agency staff, especially at regional or field offices, have the

knowledge and skills to foster community improvements

• Streamline funding requirements so pedestrian/recreation programs

are easier to administer

• Support education strategies such as those listed above

11

Three Scenic Walks in Elm City

1. From the beginning of Glenn Drive, south to

Kearney Lake Road; left on Kearney Lake Road

to Elm Street, along Elm Street back to Glenn

Drive.This walk takes about 25 minutes.

2. Starting at South Street, walk along the

Riverside Trail to Barrington Street.Note:City

bus stops one block north on Barrington Street

and takes you back to South Street.The walk

takes about 30 minutes.Great on a hot day!

3. From Point Pleasant Park, walk along Inglis

Street to South Park Street; cross Inglis and go

back along the other side.The loop takes about

25 minutes.Lots of beautiful historic houses!
3. Update Land Use and Community Design Policies

Ensure residential areas can have service and commercial areas in walking distance

Ensure all new residential areas are built with sidewalks and bike paths

Insist on attractive building designs that place windows and porches (or ‘eyes’) on the street

Allow/encourage sidewalk cafes (may require widening sidewalks)

Protect public access for biking and walking along community ‘treasures’ like rivers, lakes

Add traffic-calming/slowing measures to streets with a lot of pedestrians

4. Reduce Crime in Risky Neighborhoods 

Community policing and neighborhood watch programs

Incentives for job creation and business development

Seed funding for businesses and homeowners to fix up properties

Adequate street lighting

Information Strategies

1. Develop a Map or Handbook of Walking and Biking Pathways 

Recreational (e.g., scenic routes and parks)

Historic sites and neighborhoods

Special-interest commercial areas (e.g., antiques district)

Nature trails

2. Increase Signage on Main Roads to

Help residents and visitors find parks and trails

Mark bike lanes

Identify upcoming pedestrian crossings

3. Create Guides to Local Walking and Biking Resources

Groups that organize/sponsor walks and bike rides

Stores selling discounted walking and biking equipment

Health professionals who advise individuals and groups 

Directory of indoor walking facilities (schools, malls) with hours and addresses 

12
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Strategies

1. Remove Walking and Biking Hazards

Fix broken and uneven sidewalks

Trim tree branches that are low enough for head injuries 

Brighten poorly lit paths 

Widen pedestrian paths so walkers and bikers can safely share the space

2. Increase Access to Existing Community Facilities 

Open school gyms and tracks to the public on evenings and weekends

Reclaim parks: add lighting, repair sidewalks, clean benches, remove trash and graffiti

Extend hours at recreational centers, including pools, golf courses, and tennis courts

Install bike racks at destinations

Ensure parks and trails have adequate parking spaces 

Convert abandoned railways to trails

Offer ‘comfort stations’—benches, water fountains—in parks and along trails

3. Eliminate or Reduce Recreational Fees 

Offer group or senior discounts 

Give yearlong passes to state parks, community pools, etc., to seniors on fixed incomes

4. Improve Pedestrian Crossings...to Encourage Walking

Install pedestrian signals that indicate seconds remaining for safe crossings 

Extend signal times so senior pedestrians have enough time to cross 

Decrease waits for pedestrian signals

Add more on-demand pedestrian signals

Install curb ramps (or sloping curbs) for pedestrians and bicycles 

Add more crosswalks on major roads, especially when homes are stranded from services

5. Improve Pedestrian Crossings...for Safety

Create buffers between people and traffic such as parked cars, trees, bike racks

Designate bicycle lanes

Build pedestrian bridges when crossing by foot or bicycle is too dangerous 

Add traffic islands or raised medians for pedestrians who are crossing multiple traffic

lanes or where slower pedestrians can take refuge until the light changes 

Reduce traffic speed to give drivers and pedestrians more time to see each other

Make pedestrian signals brighter and/or larger for older eyes

Add sound to pedestrian signals 

Improve crosswalks to create obvious pedestrian zones

• Add lines designating crosswalks and where cars should stop

• Mark the crosswalk with contrasting materials such as bricks or colored cement, but

avoid adding tripping hazards 

• Use reflecting materials 

• Install signs to warn drivers of pedestrian crossings (consider using

a fluorescent yellow color)

Traffic and Transit Strategies

1. Slow Traffic in Areas with Many Pedestrians (or areas

where you want to encourage more walking)

Reduce speed limits and enforce them

Narrow street width 

Design street intersections at sharper (e.g., 90°) angles 

Give straight streets some curves with 

• traffic islands and circles

• sidewalk extensions that bump into the street

• alternating on-street parking patterns

• large concrete planters

Note that if streets are too curvy, pedestrians cannot see

oncoming traffic

13
2. Design Transit Routes to Link Seniors

with Walking Areas 

At convenient times for seniors

To places they want or need to go

With minimal transfers

With bus stops close to where they live 

3. Accommodate Seniors and People with

Physical Disabilities 

Purchase or retrofit transit vehicles for people

unable to use the steps

Encourage healthy riders to leave open seats designated

for people with special needs

RESOURCES

• AARP: www.aarp.org

• America Walks: www.americawalks.org

• Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging:

www.uwo.ca/actage

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nutrition and Physical Activity,

Active Community Environments: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/aces.htm

• Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, The Brookings Institution:

www.brookings.edu/es/urban/urban.htm

• Local Government Commission: www.lgc.org

• National Center for Bicycling and Walking: www.bikewalk.org

• National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging: www.nih.gov/nia

• National Recreation and Park Association: www.nrpa.org

• Partnership for a Walkable America: www.nsc.org/walkable.htm

• Partnership for Prevention: www.prevent.org

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center: www.bicyclinginfo.org or

www.walkinginfo.org

• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: www.railstotrails.org

• SPRY Foundation: www.spry.org

• Strategic Planning, online guide by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/str_plan/str_plan.htm

• Surface Transportation Policy Project: www.transact.org

• U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.dot.gov

• Walkable Communities: www.walkable.org

• World Health Organization, Department of Noncommunicable

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: 

www.who.int/hpr/ageing/index.htm

14
SOURCES 

1. Active Living Coalition for Older Adults. Moving Through the Years. A

Blueprint for Action for Active Living and Older Adults. Ottawa, Ontario:

Active Living Coalition for Older Adults, 1999.

2. Baron Pollak P. Liveable Communities: An Evaluation Guide. Washington,

DC: AARP, Public Policy Institute; 1999.

3. Birnbaum WS. If Your Strategy Is so Terrific, How Come It Doesn’t Work?

New York, NY: American Management Association; 1990.

4. Bryson JM. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A

Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement

(revised edition): Jossey-Bass, Inc.; 1995.

5. Frank LD, Engelke P. How Land Use and Transportation Systems Impact

Public Health: A Literature Review of the Relationship Between Physical

Activity and Built Form. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention; 2000.

6. Gilleran BF, Pates G. Bicycling & Walking in the Nineties and Beyond.

Applying Scandinavian Experience to America’s Challenges. Washington,

DC: Prepared for the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Dept. of

Transportation; 1994.

7. Jacobs A. Great Streets. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; 1995.

8. McCann B, DeLille B. Mean Streets, 2000. Pedestrian Safety, Health and

Federal Transportation Spending. Washington, DC: Surface Transportation

Policy Project; 2000.

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Americans in the 21st century. Am J Health Promot 2000;14(6):371-9.

10. National Blueprint on Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older.

Princeton, NJ: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; 2001.

11. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Walkability Checklist.

Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration.

12. Pedestrian Federation of America. Walk Tall: A Citizen’s Guide to

Walkable Communities. Washington, DC: Bicycle Federation of

America; 1995.

13. Straight A. Community Transportation Survey. Washington, DC:

AARP; 1997.

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Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Dept. of

Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and

Health Promotion; 1996.

15. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010

(second edition). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing

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Communities Through Planning and Design. Chicago, IL: American

Planning Association; 2001.

15
16

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people contributed their time to this project, lending

expertise, a critical eye, information resources, and helpful

suggestions. Foremost among these were members of the

project advisory committee, to whom we say “thank you.” 

David Buchner, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc.

Karen Scott Collins, MD, The Commonwealth Fund

Tom Cove, Sporting Goods Manufacturers of America

Carol C. Hogue, RN, PhD, FAAN, University of North Carolina

School of Nursing and UNC Institute on Aging

Marla Hollander, MPH, CHES, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Jan K. Malcolm, Minnesota Department of Health

Barbara McCann, Surface Transportation Policy Project

Lois Michaels, MSHyG, Health and Prevention Specialist

Audrey Straight, JD, American Association of Retired Persons

Jane C. Stutts, PhD, University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Center

Michael Whelan, City of Largo Recreation and Parks Department

Bill Wilkinson, National Center for Bicycling and Walking

Partnership especially appreciates the invaluable guidance of the advisory committee

chair, Lois Michaels, MSHy, who also serves on Partnership’s Board of Directors. 

Jeff Finn, PhD, School of Communications, The American University, and Laurie Flaherty,

RN, MS, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also provided assistance.

Partnership staff who worked on this report were Jennifer Bell, project manager, and

Molly E. French, MSCRP, director of policy research.

Partnership for Prevention is a national membership association committed to

increasing resources for and knowledge about effective disease prevention and

health promotion policies and practices. Our diverse membership includes

corporations, nonprofit policy and research institutions, professional and trade

associations, voluntary health organizations, health plans, and state health

departments. Partnership adheres to the highest standards of scientific

evidence supporting the case for preventive services, health promotion,

and environmental health. Partnership can be found online at

www.prevent.org. 

This research was supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) under Co-operative Agreement No. DTNH22-00-H05210. The opinions, findings, and recommendations contained herein are those

of Partnership for Prevention and do not necessarily represent those of NHTSA.

© Partnership for Prevention, 2001.

Partnership for Prevention

1233 – 20th Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20036-2362

(202) 833-0009

www.prevent.org

1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20036-2362

202-833-0009

www.prevent.org