The third iteration of the Active Design guidance aims to help planners, designers and everyone involved in delivering and managing places to create and maintain environments that encourage people to move more.

The guidance is supported by Active Travel England (ATE) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and maintains the 10 principles from the first two versions, with the foundational principle of ‘activity for all’ a constant throughout.

It’s hard to underestimate the benefits of Active Design, says Chris Boardman, National Active Travel Commissioner for ATE.

"Creating places and spaces that both enable and entice us to move more in our everyday lives, benefits us in so many ways - from saving money on travel to giving children transport independence, both of which will create healthier communities which, in turn, reduce the strain on the NHS.

"Enabling activity in our neighbourhoods is the core focus of the Active Design Guide but to be truly transformative for a nation, we need to extend the principles, so people can get to schools, shops and workplaces a bit further away, under their own steam.”

Active Design focuses on three themes; supporting active travel; active, high-quality places and spaces; and creating and maintaining activity – within which each of the 10 principles sit.

It also provides useful case studies to illustrate how these principles can be successfully implemented in a variety of contexts.

This update builds on the work from Active Design 2 but reflects the latest research and practice in encouraging physical activity in the build and natural environment.