On July 22, 2015, Sacramento Board of Supervisors adopted the Zoning and Development Code and the Design Guidelines that include Active Design. It is the first major update to the County’s Development Code in 30 years.  Active Design is included in all land use areas--residential, commercial, and industrial--and is expected to encourage walking and biking, and improve access to public transit. Read the full press release in the Sacramento County News.

This east west opportunity thrived when Sacramento County adopted active design principles following the release of New York City’s Active Design Guidelines.  Another catalyst came from the National Leadership Academy for Public Health program in which fellows Judy Robinson (Sacramento County) and Joyce Lee (New York City) met to discuss implementation potential. The Active Design Guidelines, which received a Translating Research to Policy Award from the Active Living Research (2011), is now being used in projects and municipalities in the US and abroad.

Developers and design teams looking to implement projects using active design best practice standards like Sacramento can contact Active Living Research for advisory and consulting services.

About the Author

Joyce Lee, FAIA, LEED Fellow, is the President of IndioJLD, providing green health, design and planning services on leading edge projects and for institutional clients. A co-author of the Active Design Guidelines, she was the first Active Design Director in New York City and Chief Architect of NYC Office of Management and Budget.