Philadelphia's trails, parks, pools, and recreation centers can help children and adults get the physical activity they need to stay healthy.
Get Healthy Philly is working to increase active communities by promoting the use of the city’s parks and recreation system, and by planning healthier communities that provide more options for people to be active in their own neighborhoods.
What is an active community?
Healthy, active communities are neighborhoods in which:
- Residents can run errands and access services without a car.
- Children and seniors feel safe walking or biking for transportation.
- Community members are connected to Philadelphia’s employment
centers, recreational centers, and cultural opportunities via public
transit, sidewalks and/or bike lanes.
How is Get Healthy Philly promoting activity in communities?
- After-School Fitness Standards: Partnering with the Health Promotion Council to develop and test fitness standards around screen time use and minutes of physical activity in over 200 after school programs.
- Recreation Fitness Standards: Partnering with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to help kids achieve at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day in 100 after-school recreation centers.
Recreation centers and physical activities available to youth
Healthy Physical Activity and Nutrition Guidelines (Philadelphia Parks and Recreation) - Healthy Planning: Working with the City Planning Commission to plan communities that are designed to make walking, biking, and public transit easier to use. Find out more.
How can I get involved?
- Use a walkability checklist to see if your community is walking friendly.
- Contact the Philadelphia Streets Department to improve conditions. You may reach a representative at 215-686-5560 or text the street needing improvements to *FIX (*349) from your cell phone.
- Submit a tip to police if you feel your neighborhood is unsafe and limiting physical activity. Submit a tip.
- Attend local zoning meetings and get involved in district plans.
Resources
Active Living by Design
Philadelphia2035: Healthy Communities
Walkability checklist
