Active Community Environments (ACEs)

  • Who is it for?

    Public health practitioners, community groups, advocates and grassroots coalitions.

  • How do you get it?

    This resource is distributed electronically and materials can be downloaded on this page.

  • How is it used?

    Serves as a policy primer and provides guidelines for getting involved in land use and transportation planning.

Creating Active Community Environments (ACEs) represents a valuable opportunity for public health practicioners interested in increasing opportunities for people to be physically active. ACEs are places where people are able and encouraged to walk, bike, or roll for both pleasure and purpose. There is increasing recognition of the importance of the environment in shaping behavior, yet public health professionals are just beginning to learn about effective strategies that focus on changing environments.

The north Carolina Division of Public Health recognizes this unique opportunity for impacting physical activity levels and has developed Winning with ACEs! How You Can Work toward Active Community Environments (referred to as the ACEs Guide). The ACEs Guide was developed to assist North Carolinians who are interested in making their communities more supportive of physical activity. The primary audience for the ACEs Guide is public health practitioners, but many community groups and grassroots coalitions will find the information useful.

ACEs Material

ACEs Policy Guide
ACEs Community Assessment
Chapter 3 Worksheets (PDF)
Chapter 3 Worksheets (Word)
ACEs - CDC One-Page
Age of Sprawl - Why Johnny Can't Walk to School
Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design
NC Smart Growth Commission Report

Walking & Bicycling Suitability Assessment (WABSA) Materials

WABSA Guidebook
WABSA Excel Scoring (Excel)
Bike Method (Revised)
Funding Sources for Walk Bike
Liability Waver
Sample Workshop Evalution
Walking Method (Revised)
WABSA Slideshow (54mb)

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Community Programs and Tools

Move More Walking Map Guide
Move More Walking Map Guide
Step-by-step guidelines to promote safe walking routes
NC Fruits and Veggies Nutrition Program
NC Fruits and Veggies Coalition
Program to increase fruit and veggie consumption
Eat Smart, Move More (ESMM) Coalitions
ESMM Coalitions
Working at the community level
Active Community Environments (ACEs)
Active Community Environments (ACEs)
Building communities that support physical activity
Women Living Healthy, Women Living Well
Women Living Healthy, Women Living Well
Interactive CD to help women live a healthy life
Bring Fresh Produce to Your Setting
Bring fresh produce to your setting
Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less
Eat Smart, Move More, Weight Less
Snacks and Drinks Guide
Snacks and Drinks Guide
Simple solutions to help you and your family eat healthy.
Trends, Effects, and Solutions
Trends, Effects, and Solutions
White Papers on trends, effects, and solutions.

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Recipe for Success Submission Form (PDF)
Recipe for Success Submission Form (Word)

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and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health

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