Active environments are places which encourage activity for all, helping people to lead more physically active and healthy lives.

To create more active environments and healthy communities, new design guidance has been released by Sport England highlighting the ways in which planners, designers and placemakers can support people to move more.

Enabling activity includes the provision of safe, attractive and easy means of getting to and from locations without the need for a car.

The Active Design guidance from Sport England, in partnership with Active Travel England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, focuses on three themes: supporting active travel; high-quality active places and spaces; and creating and maintaining activity.

Active Design principles
Within the three themes of Active Design are 10 principles – the key one being enabling activity for all.

The principles include providing connected active travel routes, creating multi-functional open spaces and providing activity infrastructure.

Broxap is a key partner for architects, planners and project leads involved in the creation of active environments and schemes which apply the principles of active design.

With more than 75 years of experience, Broxap is a single source designer, manufacturer and installer of a wide range of products essential to delivering the aims of the design guidance.

Walkable communities
This principle calls for daily essential and recreation to be within easy reach of each other by active travel means.

Ensuring this also meets with the activity for all premise, seating should be provided along walkable routes for those who may need to rest along the way.

As well as a wide range of seating options suitable for different environments, their inclusive designs also take into account different abilities and needs such as the inclusion of backrests, armrests and customisable size options.

Providing connected active travel routes
Encouraging active travel calls for a network of routes which safely and directly connect places.

Under this principle, signage is called for to help people find their way.

At Broxap they believe that waymarking and signage is crucial in the design of all places, from traditional signage columns with finger posts to outdoor notice boards and display cases.
Including recognisable features is also helpful, such as the bespoke finials created for Worcester in its waymarking scheme.

Mixing uses and co-locating facilities
It is suggested that destinations with multiple reasons to visit will reduce the perception of distance when it comes to active travel as well as generate a critical mass of travel demand. This demand in turn can better support other sustainable travel options such as public transport.

Again, infrastructure to make this more attractive than using the car includes high-quality seating, passenger waiting shelters, secure cycle storage for this making an onward journey and bollards for safety and waymarking.

When it comes to mixed use locations, Broxap can also support the likes of outdoor dining and hospitality areas through outdoor dining furniture and canopies; entrance canopies and walkways for retail areas; as well as sports shelters and spectator stands for sports and leisure venues.

Network of multi-functional open spaces
Open spaces for sports and activity as well as community events are also called for.

Through the Sunshine Gym division they design, supply and install accessible outdoor gym equipment suitable for all ages and abilities.

A Sunshine Gym breaks down barriers to fitness such as cost, convenience and feelings of intimidation some people face when considering attending a traditional indoor gym.
The designs are based on social inclusion, bringing people together to motivate and encourage each other to achieve their activity and fitness goals.

Hand Made Places is their specialist timber playground equipment division, creating inclusive outdoor spaces for all users to enjoy.

Equipment such as Trim Trails and MUGAs are ideal for keeping visitors fit and active, while their physical, imaginative, eco and sensory play ranges encourage physical, social and emotional development among young people. They also advise on and supply and install safety surfacing, creating even, accessible routes for those who use wheeling as a form of active travel.

Community gardens and open spaces may benefit from planters, seating, or benches; market places can offer UV and waterproof protection through fabric canopies; while bandstands still have a role to play in parks and heritage landscapes.

Providing high-quality streets and spaces
Durable street furniture in the right places and easy to use signage, made from high-quality materials, is the advice for more built up areas.

Streets should prioritise people and host a mix of uses according to the guidance.

Outdoor performance areas may be something to consider like in Llanelli Town Centre or Market Square in Harlow where canopies have been designed and installed in the public realm. Market Place in Wigan and Shrewsbury Town Centre are other examples of how to use street furniture to bring people to the heart of towns and cities.

High-quality spaces need to be clean and attractive, with Broxap offering a market-leading range of litter bins and recycling bins for all public areas. Their growing range of recycling bins encourage recycling-on-the-go so walkers and cyclists can still dispose of their waste responsibly whether travelling in town centres or along a canal path.

Providing activity infrastructure
Cycling parking is one of their specialist areas of design and manufacture.

The range includes cycle shelters, cycle compounds and hubs, cycle parking systems and stands, scooter racks and accessories such as lockers.

Broxap work with a wide range of clients to provide on-street cycle parking, cycle parking for schools and workplaces, sustainable travel infrastructure at transport hubs as well as covered walkways linking cycle parking facilities to buildings.

Their shelters range includes buggy shelters, keeping expensive and essential prams and pushchairs secure and protected at active travel destinations. They also provide youth shelters, opening up parks and recreation grounds to more young people as places to socialise and enjoy responsibly.

Active buildings inside and out
Opportunities for physical activity should be provided within building design with consideration also given to arrival experiences and methods of circulation.

Often the approach and entrance to a building is used by visitors to form their first impressions.

Broxap believe these areas can inspire confidence, contribute to wellbeing and deliver a sense of care to those working, learning, visiting or staying at a building.

Entrance canopies help with wayfinding at large complexes such as hospitals and clinics; staff breakout areas can aid productivity with seating, planters and fabric structures providing comfortable spaces away from desks and screens, and secure cycle parking provides peace of mind to those traveling by bike.

Partner with Broxap Street Furniture
The final two principles are maintaining high-quality, flexible spaces and activating spaces.

Choosing Broxap as your Active Design partner not only offers the convenience of a trusted, single-source supplier, it also delivers long-lasting, durable and easy to maintain infrastructure made here in the UK.

Commit to activating spaces and facilities by calling their teams today to discuss your Active Design project needs.