journal · Public research summary
Physical activity in relation to urban environments in 14 cities worldwide: a cross-sectional study
Residential density, street intersections, public transport density and parks were positively associated with measured physical activity.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Sallis et al. · The Lancet · 2016 · DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01284-2
Study design
Cross-sectional
Population
6,822 adults aged 18–66 in 14 cities across 10 countries; 4–7 days of accelerometer monitoring.
Geography
Urban samples on five continents
Finding
Residential density, street intersections, public transport density and parks were positively associated with measured physical activity.
Estimate
Most vs least activity-friendly neighbourhoods differed by 68–89 minutes/week of activity across the reported comparisons.
Measured relationship
Neighbourhood attributes ↔ measured movement. This study did not measure subsequent disease reduction.
Limitations
Cross-sectional: neighbourhood self-selection and unmeasured factors limit causality. Cities are not whole regions; rural settings need separate evidence.