The places we live, learn, work and play can have a significant influence on how active we are every day.

Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa has launched Every Body Active by Design, a new guide providing practical guidance for the planners, designers, engineers, councils, developers and other decision-makers who shape the places where people live, learn, work and play.

Developed in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, with expertise from Boffa Miskell and Ngā Aho and input from practitioners, mana whenua, government agencies and communities across Aotearoa, the guide brings together evidence, five Active Design Principles, 12 common approaches for different settings, and examples from across the motu. 

At its heart is the idea that being active is not only about individual choices. The environments around us can make walking, wheeling, cycling, play and active recreation easier, safer and more enjoyable parts of everyday life. 

For landscape architects, the guide provides another useful lens for thinking about how the design of places can support people and communities. It also connects active design with broader outcomes including healthier people, stronger communities, environmental sustainability, local economic vitality, and a stronger sense of identity and belonging. 

Explore the guide

Every Body Active by Design includes practical guidance, evidence and examples that can support planning, policy, design, investment and delivery decisions.

Explore the guide at activebydesign.org.nz.

Continue the conversation at the Firth NZILA Wānanga

Sport NZ will also join us in Ōtautahi this November at Ka Rū Ka Hā / Awaken the Energy, the Firth NZILA Wānanga 2026, for a Friday session exploring the new guide and the role of active design in shaping healthier, more connected places.

The session will give attendees an opportunity to hear more about the thinking behind Every Body Active by Design and consider how its principles can be applied through the work of landscape architects and others shaping Aotearoa’s places.

Find out more about the Firth NZILA Wānanga 2026 at nzila.co.nz/conference