Prevalence of master plans supportive of active living in US municipalities

Community planning documents can play an important role in promoting the design and maintenance of walkable communities. This study estimates the prevalence among US municipalities of (1) community wide planning documents and (2) inclusion of plan objectives supportive of active living within these documents. Data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL), a survey of local officials, were analyzed (n = 2005). Prevalence of comprehensive or general plans, 3 specific plan types, and 3 objectives supportive of active living were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. Overall, 64% of municipalities had a comprehensive/general plan, 46% had a transportation plan, 48% had a bicycle or pedestrian plan and 76% had a land use plan. Of municipalities with a plan, 78% included at least one of the three objectives measured supportive of active living. Differences in presence of plans and objectives were observed by population size of the municipality, urban status, region, and median education. Helping communities, especially smaller or rural municipalities and those with lower median education levels, create and adopt planning documents supportive of active living may be an important step in creating more walkable communities.