Healthy Space Next Door A toolkit for healthy community design Sponsored by Healthy Space Next Door A toolkit for healthy community design Project team Associate Professor Dr Panit Pujinda Ms Thanchanok Wongtavilarp Ms Sirada Darikarnonta Mr Karn Sae-Eaw Mr Ronnapee Areepong Ms Pundita Haetanurak Ms Jarawee Dumrongkijkarn Ms Punwika Fangyong Editor: Ms Thanchanok Wongtavilarp Author: Project Team and Ms Siyada Darikarnonta Cover design: Ms Thanchanok Wongtavilarp Graphic design: Project Team and Mr Chatchanok Itthiamornlert Published by: Healthy Space Forum 71 G.P. House Building, Sap Road, Si Phraya, Bangrak, Bangkok, 10500 Thailand ISBN: 978-92-9022-861-5 Sponsored by: WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (WHO-SEARO) Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Exercise improves our physical and mental health. We are all well aware of this. Yet, only a handful of us incorporate exercise into our daily routine, mostly because our willpower struggles to compete with unavoidable obstacles to engaging in fun physical activities. A long commute from our house to the nearest public park is demotivating enough. Discovering a long waiting queue for the sporting ground or equipment only frustrates us further. Opting for exercise at home understandably comes with its own limitations, such as inadequate space and the lack of friendly faces found in team sports. Sometimes the level of commitment and effort required gives us the justification to throw in the towel before we even start. If asked to name public parks within the city, most of us would probably recall only a few large ones. Meanwhile, myriads of smaller public spaces are underutilized, available and suitable for development as healthy spaces for shared use. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could start our exercise routine as soon as we step outside? This booklet is a part of a project “Prototype development for physical activities in the local community”. Sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South-East Asia and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Healthy Space Forum has created this booklet as a guideline for the development of healthy public spaces. We aim to increase public awareness on the importance of daily physical activities, encourage creation of good public spaces near our homes, build a network of healthy communities, integrate exercise into everyone’s normal life and turn health care into an everyday routine for all. Healthy Space Forum Preface Foreword All people in the WHO South-East Asia Region require access to environments that enable healthy lifestyles, reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and facilitate healthy ageing. To achieve these, communities and their leaders in urban, semi-urban, slum and rural areas must come together to generate the design and resources for and create common spaces that can be used for health promotion activities. I sincerely thank the Thai Health Promotion Foundation for its partnership in this project, and also thank the Healthy Space Forum, which created this booklet as a guideline for the development of healthy public spaces. I am certain that the models contained herein will help local planners and policy-makers find innovative ways to create common areas that are healthier and reduce the NCD burden, for a more equitable and sustainable future for all. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh Regional Director WHO South-East Asia For over a decade, Thai Health Promotion Foundation has adopted promotion of physical activity as one of the major planks to tackle the morbidity and mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). To promote physical activity, building a supportive environment is highly essen- tial, as the environment can influence people’s healthy lifestyles. Developing a healthy space is one of the most effective approaches to creating the environment that is conducive to active and healthy behaviour. This collaborative project with WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia is an important initiative to scale up the model of the healthy space from Thailand to other member states in the South-East Asia Region. This work will not only strengthen the foundations for promoting healthy lifestyles at the community level, but also enhance community engagement and social participation. Dr Supreda Adulyanon Chief Executive Officer Thai Health Promotion Foundation
Table of contents 1 2 3 4 The City We Live In 1 Physical Activity and The City 7 Prototype of Healthy Spaces 13 How To Promote Physical Activity 45 Conclusion 53 Bibliography 56
The City We Live In • We are where we live • A healthy city 1 Healthy city, happy people. Where we live, work and socialize impacts who we are. An example would be to realize how our mood changes for the worse while going through polluted sidewalks, but for the better when standing under cool shady trees and admiring the wonders of the world – like the Sadagra Familia in Spain or magnificent mountains such as Seongsan Ilchulbong in South Korea or Fuji-san in Japan. The residents of these three countries also happen to be among the health- iest people on earth. Why so? The answer is a combination of healthy local cuisine, strong family bonds and walkable cities. Because we are what we eat, who we love and where we live. Most traditional cultures are already blessed with a robust local cuisine. Some also have an affinity for tightly-knit extended families. So, adding walkable cities to this status quo, wherever we are, is very likely to ensure healthier and happier lives for all of us. What exactly is a walkable city? To put it simply, it is a healthy city for happy people. We are where we live 4We are where we live Imagine having a cozy house with a comfortable sofa waiting for you at the end of a stressful workday. It seems nice, right? But it is also quite detrimental to your physical health. A tragedy of a typical day in our modern life in the city often goes like this. Office syndrome catches To create a health- supportive environment To achieve a good quality of life 5 A toolkit for healthy community design us unawares at work. Then we go home and turn into couch potatoes. Before we know it, cardiovascular disease comes knocking at our door. A healthy city will be our pre- emptive remedy. An attractive public park next door will incentivize us to explore different activities. The A healthy city more often we rest and recharge our energy by spending time outside with our neighbours, the stronger will be the sense of community. By making sure that where we live allows us to expand the circle of who we love, we are protecting our hearts in both the physical and emotional sense. Other than fixing our hearts, a healthy city can also fix our econ- omy. For example, it can reduce brain drain, or human capital flight. Because where else would the most skilful of us rather be, when the healthiest and happiest place to live is our own home? To supply access to health care To provide basic sanitation and hygiene needs + healthcare 6A healthy city
Physical Activity and The City • What is physical activity? • Impacts of city context on physical activity 2 To move is To exercise Physical activity, in its simplest form, refers to movement. When we move our bodies, whether while doing daily chores or high intensity interval training, we are engaging in physical activity. But ask yourself: do you have a desk job or a labour-intensive one? Do you drive, take a bus, or walk to your office? Do you hit the gym or make a beeline for an acceptable, com- fortable horizontal surface, e.g. a sofa in front of the TV, right after work? Physical activities while we are working, commuting or relaxing vary widely in terms of how supportive they are to our overall health. If our regular jobs or mode of transportation include very little bodily movement, it could adversely impact our health in the long run. Adding some physical activities into our leisure time – be it walking, running, or playing other sports – could benefit us greatly. Given an easily accessible and ready-to-use space for recreational activities, we would most likely actually use it for real only when it is appropriate to our needs. And our needs will inevitably vary, because different city contexts have different effects on people’s typical lifestyles. What is physical activity? 10What is physical activity? Urbanization affects our way of life. Our jobs have developed from agricultural labour to service provision. Our mode of trans- portation has developed from short-distance walking, or biking, to riding in automotive vehicles for longer distances. Our food and our recreational activities have also changed, depending on our specific city context. All of these changes have a direct impact on our health. The type of space we live in can be categorized into four simple categories according to the differ- ences in their spatial and social aspects: urban, semi-urban, slum and rural areas. Impacts of city context on physical activity An urban area is a hotspot for immigration. It is closer to the workplace, which translates to a more convenient daily routine. But living in an urban area may change our behaviour without our being aware of the same. As our lifestyles become more rushed, we start delegating more tasks to machines and technology, automatically decreasing our own movement. A semi-urban area faces a similar problem, but with an additional limitation on the modes of transportation. These automatic decreases in the level of physical activity make those of us who live in urban or semi-urban areas weaker, just as automatically. Slum and rural areas also have vastly different spatial characteristics. In slum areas, each local community is usually jam-packed. Those who live here usually have to undertake some type of physical activity as part of their regular jobs. Nonetheless, work-related movements are not necessarily good for their overall health, especially when stress on their bodies is unevenly distributed. In rural areas, residences and workplaces are usually clearly separated, since agriculture is the mainstay for most of the people who live here. Thus, their work is mostly related to physical activities. However, there is still a significant lack of public space for shared activities that could help increase social interaction. Understanding the specific context in each area is integral to good design of a healthy space. This helps us to better understand user behaviour and their needs. Moreover, people in the local community should have a say in what kind of space they want, because they are the real users of this healthy space. They are the ones who can truly tell what would be useful and what would not. 12Impacts of city context on physical activity
Prototype of Healthy Spaces • Adaptation of design guideline • Designing for four different areas 3 Distinct context, Custom design The city context affects the level of physical activity in our daily lives. Those living in urban areas will have different needs from those who live in suburban, slum, or rural areas. Healthy space design must take this into consideration. There are four factors in designing a space that would support physical activities: requirement within area; space division by usage; type of exercise equipment; and exercise equipment materials. Each city context will impact each design factor differently. To adapt the ratio of space division, specify the number of equipment and decide where to put them, or select raw materials for the said equipment are all part of the design to best fit the specific needs within specific local communities. Adaptation of design guidelines 16Adaptation of design guidelines Public spaces in each city context should be designed according to their different priorities. Locations, space characteristics and surrounding environments should be taken into account in order to maximize the usefulness of the healthy spaces. Eight aspects for consideration for each prototype are given below. Green area Learning base Area under shade Multipurpose area Parking lot Safety Should allow a variety of activities Rest area Requirements within area 17 A toolkit for healthy community design Space division within a healthy space creates two separate zones, one for active activities and another for passive activities. ACTIVE ZONE The active zone allows people to have a full range of movement in their sports of choice. This zone should be located further away from the healthy space entrances and exits to avoid causing disturbance to surrounding residential areas. Requirements of active zones are as below. PASSIVE ZONE A passive zone allows people to have quieter and more subdued activities. This zone could border the healthy space and act as a buffer. It could also be a rest area for people from the active zone. Requirements of a passive zone are as given below. Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Space division by usage 18Adaptation of design guidelines Cardiovascular weight loss practicality and safety among users in different age groups Strength Flexibility increased endurance increased strength better cardiovascular health Different exercise equipments focus on building a different set of muscles. Hence, benefits from each equipment differ. These would include: Exercise is a planned physical activity routine for parts of the body. A balanced exercise regime can build up stamina and slow down the effects of ageing. Three types of exercise include: 19 Type of exercise equipment A toolkit for healthy community design Equipment for cardiovascular Upright bike Air walker Elliptical Recumbent bike Treadmill 20Adaptation of design guidelines Sit-up plank Leg-press machine Pararell bars Pec-deck-fly machine Chin-up ladder Equipment for strength 21 A toolkit for healthy community design Stretching strap Exercise ball Slant board Multi-bench Balance plate Equipment for flexibility 22Adaptation of design guidelines Designing multipurpose exercise equipment 1 2 3 Structure – Square Steel Pole (0.30 x 0.10 m) – Assembled/disassembled with a nut Structure – Square Steel Pole (0.30 x 0.10 m) – Steel pipe wrapped with sponge Leg exercise machine Structure – Hardwood frame (L 0.75 x D 2.50 x H 0.70 m) – Seating is 0.5 m above ground or higher. Arm exercise machine Public chair 1 2 3 In an area with limited space, the design of exercise equipment must have multifunctionality, such as a comfortable chair that does double duty as an exercise bench. 23 A toolkit for healthy community design Pros: – Long service life and weatherproof – Easy to build up a variety of structures – Highly durable. Cons: – High cost. Pros: – Low-cost material – Highly elastic – Long service life and weatherproof. Cons: – Limited possible design – Difficult to build up a structure. Pros: – Local material available in the community – Strong structure. Cons: – Not weatherproof – Suitable only for a place with a roof – Easy decay. Pros: – Local material available in the community – Easy to build up a structure. Cons: – Holds less weight than other materials – Short service life – Needs frequent maintenance. Exercise equipment materials Bamboo Tyres Wood Steel 24Adaptation of design guidelines
Designing a prototype of healthy spaces in different city contexts requires understanding the differences between them. There are four city contexts: urban, semi-urban, slum and rural areas. Urban areas have the highest population density. Vertical living in tall buildings is the norm. Public spaces are usually not within a walkable distance from the local community, which limits how useful those spaces actually are. Free time activities are usually indoors – watching movies or window shopping at the department store, for example. Therefore, social interaction outside of the workplace rarely happens naturally. Semi-urban areas are within the radius of the city where it is still easy to come to work and engage in other activities within nearby urban areas. The population density is not as high as in the urban areas and most residences are horizontal in nature. Automotive vehicles are usually required for trans- portation due to longer distances between points of interest. Slum areas have very limited space. Many residences may be packed tightly under the same roof. There may be some environmental issues that could negatively affect the safety, hygiene and security of those who live there. Rural areas have spread-out residences in small clusters, depending mostly on people’s occupation. Most activities are related to agriculture. There is limited basic infrastructure available. 26Designing for four different areas Designing for four different areas Urban areas Requirements within the area Area characteristics Amid the city full of buildings and towers, few open spaces and public parks are available. However, there is no shortage of elevated structures which create transportation networks to connect the entire city. Whether they be tollways, sky-train rails, or bridges – the empty space under each of these structures is the potential platform to build a healthy space. • Large, narrow, and long spaces • Shaded all day under elevated structures Green space Safety Should allow a variety of activities Rest area Parking lot • Lack of natural light • Heavy pollution from the streets 27 A toolkit for healthy community design Exercise equipment Most people here have a low level of physical activity. Most jobs require staying in the same position for longer than 30 minutes at a time. Regular commuting involves more vehicular commuting and less walking. There is a lack of public spaces within walking distance of local communities. Without appropriate places to engage in physical activities, illnesses could creep in unannounced. Urban areas should have equipment and designated areas for every type of exercise. Demonstrative tools should also be available nearby to aid mindful movement and prevent injuries from improper use. Upright bike Air walker Treadmill EllipticalRecumbent bike Sit-up plank Leg-press machine Pec-deck-fly Chin-up ladderPararell bars Stretching strap Slant board Exercise ball Balance plateMulti-bench Cardiovascular exercise Strength exercise Flexibility exercise 28Designing for four different areas ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Prototype of healthy spaces Healthy space in urban areas, type 1 29 A toolkit for healthy community design ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in urban areas, type 2 30Designing for four different areas Semi-urban areas have medium to low population density. Usually, there are spaces available within areas of local government agencies or around public service facilities such as public libraries, medical centres or day care centres. Such areas in these pre-existing facilities can be developed into healthy spaces for local communities. Semi-urban areas Area characteristics • Medium to large empty spaces Easily accessible • Available areas of government agencies or communal spaces not being effectively utilized Requirements within area Green space Under shade Safety Parking lot 31 A toolkit for healthy community design Should allow a variety of activities Exercise equipment Most people living in semi-urban areas work in the urban areas and use their cars for regular commuting. Due to their mode of transportation, they have sedentary lifestyles with even less physical activities than their urban counterparts. So, exercise in such areas should focus on walking and increasing bodily movement. Exercise equipment in semi-urban areas should focus on increasing muscle endurance, followed by strength training and exercises for flexibility. Since semi-urban communities have large spaces, installing a variety of exercise equipment for exercising different parts of the human body is possible. Cardiovascular exercise Strength exercise Flexibility exercise Upright bike Air walker Treadmill EllipticalRecumbent bike Sit-up plank Leg-press machine Pec-deck-fly Chin-up ladderPararell bars Stretching strap Slant board Exercise ball Balance plateMulti-bench 32Designing for four different areas ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in semi-urban areas, type 1 33 Prototype of healthy spaces A toolkit for healthy community design ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in semi-urban areas, type 2 34Designing for four different areas Here, communities live within very limited spaces. This condition means that flexibility in usage takes priority. Most shared or public spaces in this community are between roads and between households that must respond to every kind of public activity within the community. Slum areas Area characteristics • Should be safe and easily accessible • There is a regulatory limit on the size of public space • Located in high foot traffic area Requirements within area Flexible space Green spaceSafety Rest area 35 A toolkit for healthy community design Should allow a variety of activities Exercise equipment A slum area is a tightly packed residential area within the city. There are activities throughout the day within a slum area. Users in this area include children, adults and elderly people. Their level of physical activities is moderate. Exercise equipment in slum areas should have high levels of flexibility and functionality due to the limited space available. An equipment attached to a chair, or a foldable equipment, for example, would be appropriate. The focus should be to increase flexibility of equipment without requiring much space. This can be followed by strength training and exercises to enhance endurance. Cardiovascular exercise Strength exercise Flexibility exercise Upright bike Air walker Treadmill EllipticalRecumbent bike Sit-up plank Leg-press machine Pec-deck-fly Chin-up ladderPararell bars Stretching strap Slant board Exercise ball Balance plateMulti-bench 36Designing for four different areas ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in slum areas, type 1 37 Prototype of healthy spaces A toolkit for healthy community design ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in slum areas, type 2 38Designing for four different areas Settlements in rural areas are quite spread out. Community centres such as schools, temples or other religious places are the available public spaces. These also act as meeting points for shared activities. The established strong sense of community could help drive the development of healthy space in the local community. Rural areas Area characteristics • Spaces are available near community centres • Easily accessible • Located in high foot traffic area Requirement within area Green spaceSafety Rest area Learning base 39 A toolkit for healthy community design Should allow a variety of activities Exercise equipment Most people in rural areas already have adequate physical activity in their daily lives due to the nature of their occupation. However, there is still lack of exercise of the parts of the body that are not related to work, and body flexibility. Exercise equipment for rural areas should focus on improving muscle endurance. Provision of exercise equipment and sporting grounds would be most useful. Additional equipment for flexibility could help reduce fatigue after work. Upright bike Air walker Treadmill EllipticalRecumbent bike Sit-up plank Leg-press machine Pec-deck-fly Chin-up ladderPararell bars Stretching strap Slant board Exercise ball Balance plateMulti-bench Cardiovascular exercise Strength exercise Flexibility exercise 40Designing for four different areas ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in rural areas, type 1 41 Prototype of healthy spaces A toolkit for healthy community design ACTIVE ZONE Space for exercise equipments Outdoor sports fields Space for children/seniors/ people with disabilities Multipurpose yard Exercise wall Learning wall Running path PASSIVE ZONE Park/softscape Green buffer Leisure area/multipurpose yard Parking/service area Community information board Circulation Healthy space in rural areas, type 2 42Designing for four different areas
Designing healthy space and exercise equipment in different city contexts reveals how the needs vary widely between different user lifestyles. Urban, semi-urban and rural areas are large. There are enough spaces for a variety of activities and clear division of area by usage. Exercise equipment in these three contexts do not require additional design. User focus is on safe, strong and standard equipments that are currently available. Slum areas have very limited space. Thus, the space must be designed to be flexible and capable of multiple functions at different times of the day. Exercise equipment must be specifically designed to be easily stored. They could also be part of a pre-existing item. Benches, tables and walls can be redesigned to work as exercise equipment as well. 44Designing for four different areas
How To Promote Physical Activity • How to make it work for everyone • Our healthy space is in our hands 4 Realizing our paper dreams To support the health of our residents is to support our country in all ways. Good education, economics, environment, and society are all driven by people. Healthy people translate to a healthy country. Redefining public spaces is the main purpose of this project. Creation of a healthy space in every local community for everyone, everywhere – land ownership notwithstanding – is the aim. People in all walks of life, regardless of their age, physical ability or socio- economic status should benefit equally from availability of healthy spaces. Getting everyone involved in this process is a major key to developing healthy spaces. Collaboration is vital. Successful implementation depends on cooperation from everyone – the public sector, the private sector and individual resi- dents. In order to realize the plan in a sustainable way, we need inclusivity all the way from policy planning to communication with the local community. How to make it work for everyone 48How to make it work for everyone Work Processes National, central and local policies must focus on better health of our residents and accordingly push to promote physical activities. There are seven steps to follow. Networking is an important part of putting the policies into practice. Incentive approach: Provide tax benefits or opportunities to develop land for public use with governmental subsidy. Plan cohesive policies to support the health and physical activities of our residents Create legal and regulatory instruments to support the development of healthy public spaces Create a network of health associates 49 Harmonious collaboration among health agencies, educational institutions, land owners, people in the community and budgeting committees can lead to successful implementation. Regulatory approach: Introduce additional rules and regula- tions on open spaces and green areas. A toolkit for healthy community design Funding from the government: Ut i l ize tax collected f rom unhealthy consumer goods such as c igarettes and a l coho l . Conduct surveys of the areas and hold meetings among people in the community. Give everyone an opportunity to participate in designing and building a practical mock-up before the actual construction. Organize activities at the community, local, and national levels to create a better understanding of the benefits of health care. Assign community health personnel such as health-care workers, yoga teachers or aerobic teachers who can share health knowledge to promote exercise in different flavours. Manage project finance and budget Encourage participation from individual residents and their local communities Increase awareness with health campaigns and publicity Build a knowledge base on health-related issues for our residents 50 Funding from other sources: Crowdfund by donation; incent iv ize pr ivate companies to invest in heal thy publ i c space deve lopment w i th tax bene f i t s , e tc . How to make it work for everyone Our healthy space is in Our hands Conducting location surveys and getting to know everyone in our team including, but not limited to, designers, agencies, residents and the community. After icebreaking, there are group discussions for in-depth consideration about use cases and what kind of consequences could be expected in public space development. Brainstorming allows everyone to participate in the design process. Each individual user has different needs and therefore a different definition of ideal public spaces. The more diverse our discussion groups, the more likely that the spaces could benefit all users equally. Designers took the comments by everyone from brainstorming sessions to make a mock-up on location. Thus, they could try to use it, see what it is like and provide additional feedback after the actual experience before starting to build for real. This project was born out of cooperation between individual residents and the local community. We have encouraged and had brainstorming and discussion sessions to address the problems. Getting everyone involved in the development ensures sustainability. For example, when we plant a tree, we prepare the ground together, take care of it together, and grow it together so we all love the tree. The project included four steps. Introduction and location surveys Group discussions Brainstorming Comments and mock-up Our healthy space is in our hands 52 Conclusion A healthy space is not only a public space for a physically healthier population, but also a recreational area within the local neighbourhood. It facilitates social interactions, which in turn create a supportive network among people in the same community. De-stressing and letting go of fatigue after work can together be a great bonding experience. This strong sense of belonging positively impacts city dwellers’ mental health. It allows everybody to meet someone who may have otherwise been a total stranger. Newcomers will feel more at ease when there already is a welcoming established community of healthy supportive people in town. 53 A toolkit for healthy community design This booklet is meant to act as a guideline on how to create a healthy space in your local community. Once we all recognize how important physical activities really are, we will see more incentives to build healthy spaces near our homes. This type of development aims to subtly change every- one’s lifestyle without any jarring disruptions. When walking home after work is an easy and viable option, we don’t need a gym membership to exercise. No pep talk is required to put our shoes on specifically for a run. It’s not a big deal to go and say hello to our neighbours and their dogs in the park. Not when the said park is truly local and accessible. Most of the time, our additional physical activities won’t even feel like exercise, even though our overall better health may say otherwise. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a healthy space that lets us subconsciously exercise while we are doing other things we love? 54Conclusion 55 A toolkit for healthy community design Healthy cities. In: World Health Organization [website]. (https://www.who. int/healthpromotion/healthy-cities/en/, accessed 14 October 2020). Three types of exercise for life-long health and vitality. In: Elaine Mansfield [website]. 2014 (https://elainemansfield.com/nutrition-and-exercise/exer- cise/aerobics-stretching-and-balance/three-types-of-exercise-for-life-long- health-and-vitality/, accessed 14 October 2020). Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Committee of Physical Activity Promotion Master Plan Development (2018- 2030). แผนแม่บทการส่งเสริมกิจกรรมทางกาย (พ.ศ. 2561–2573) [Physical Activity Promotion Master Plan 2018-2030]; 2017. (in Thai) Bibliography 56Bibliography Imagine having a cozy house with a comfortable sofa waiting for you at the end of a stressful workday. It seems nice, right? But it is also quite detrimental to your physical health. A healthy city will be our pre-emptive remedy. An attractive public park next door will incentivize us to explore different activities. The more often we rest and recharge our energy by spending time outside with our neighbours, the stronger will be the sense of community.