Designing for community health
This month we’re bringing you something special: insight into hot-off-the-press resources for, and insights from, the community!
Our new awareness, education and advocacy materials will help community members to get involved and support the task of creating more walkable, liveable local neighbourhoods.
There’s a significant opportunity to inspire people across the country to further observe and consider the way that local neighbourhoods shape the way they live, their quality of life and health outcomes. And for community members to use this awareness to advocate for improvement, including to partner with local councils as champions for change and, together, to build a stronger collective voice for investment, policy and action.
Educational materials can help raise community awareness about the important links between heart health and the built environment; and the ways in which local neighbourhoods can help or hinder people to be physically active.
A recent report (June 2025) commissioned by the Heart Foundation and undertaken by McCrindle Research (What Australia Wants: Neighbourhood design) has assessed community sentiment about the importance of being physically active in local areas. Results have shown that 93% of people believe this to be important or very important.
Encouragingly, more than nine in ten of the survey respondents (94%) are satisfied with their experience of living in their neighbourhood.
Physical activity levels across the country remain below the recommended guidelines, suggesting there remains work to be done. Key insights from the survey can be leveraged to inform priority action areas for all levels of government.
While satisfaction levels for local neighbourhoods are high, many people surveyed are still calling for changes that would make it easier and safer to walk, wheel, bike ride, or use public transport in their local communities. Aligned with this, there is strong support for changes to lower speed limits in local areas, and for greater investment in active and public modes of transport.
The most important factor people surveyed have identified when choosing where to live is how connected the area is to destinations. More than three in five survey respondents (62%) say that being within walking distance of destinations such as shops, health practitioners, and work is very important to them. Sense of place, including having a sense of belonging, is also a top consideration, followed by access to healthy foods, public open spaces, and movement networks.
There’s a clear link between local design features such as well-maintained walkways and shared public spaces, and the ability of residents to lead active, healthy lives. These features are not just nice-to-haves but are essential building blocks in the effort to tackle heart disease.
You can check it all out the survey responses here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/541aa469/files/uploaded/What_Australia_Wants_-_National_Heart_Foundation_FINAL.pdf
And our resources to help mobilise community members to advocate for more walkable local neighbourhoods here: https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/community-walkability