Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Trajectory Data Analyses for Pedestrian Space-time Activity Study
Published on: February 25, 2013
The Built Environment and Population Physical Activity: Methods for Mapping the Relevant Laws
Tracy Nau1,2, William Bellew1,2, Billie Giles-Corti2,3
1Prevention Research Collaboration, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW,Australia.
Background:
The development of policies that promote and enable physical activity (PA) is a global health priority. Laws are an important policy instrument that can enable enduring beneficial outcomes for individuals, organizations, and environments through multiple mechanisms. This article presents a systematic process for mapping laws relevant to PA, which can be used to understand the role of laws as a powerful PA policy lever.
Methods:
Building on methods used in public health law research, we developed a protocol for scientific mapping of laws influencing the built environment for PA in Australia. The MonQcle online legal research platform was used for data coding, analysis, and presentation.
Results:
We describe the 10 key stages of legal mapping that we applied to examine state and territory laws that influence walking and cycling in Australia.
Conclusions:
Law is a neglected element of policy research for PA. There is a need for accessible legal data to drive the design, investment, and implementation of legal interventions to improve population PA. Legal mapping is a first step toward evaluation of such laws for PA. This paper provides a practical case study and guidance for the 10 stages in legal mapping of laws that influence the built environment for PA.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Maps
01:28Navigating Your Map
Manipulation and Analysis
Thematic Layering in GIS
01:14Map Projections - II
Levels of Use of a GIS

