Improvements in the built environment and changes in land use policy are increasingly seen as the most promising approach to increasing levels of physical activity among a largely sedentary population. Authors suggest that opportunities for walking and cycling as part of daily life activities are essential to increasing physical activity and health. Yet local zoning and related land use regulations typically isolate residential development and make it difficult to create neighborhoods with mixed uses, well connected streets and more compact development - the infrastructure known to support healthier rates of walking and cycling for transportation.
To better understand how our system of land use laws and policies has evolved and how future change might be accomplished, this paper reviews the public health roots of zoning and other land development laws and traces the evolution of these policies. It illustrates how the public health concerns that formed the historic basis for traditional zoning laws have changed and why zoning and other land development codes should evolve in step with current public health needs. It provides a legal, historical, and policy rationale for state and local governments seeking to modernize their zoning and land use policies to support a more physically active and healthy citizenry.
