Active mobility refers to unmotorised transport powered by human physical activity such as walking, cycling, running, rowing, skateboarding, kick scooting, or roller skating. This form of movement relies on non-motorized means to move people or goods through urban environments.
A typical car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year while active mobility lowers daily greenhouse gas emissions. An average person cycling one trip per day more and driving one trip less for 200 days decreases lifecycle emissions by about 0.5 tonnes over a year.
Portland Oregon increased bicycle use five-fold between 1990 and 2009 using pro-cycling programs. Public policies promoting active mobility tend to improve health indicators by increasing levels of physical fitness and reducing rates of obesity and diabetes.
Active mobility comprises more than 40 percent of commuting in urban areas within the Netherlands where the Dutch government estimates there are about 1.3 bikes per person. Policy efforts by the Ministry of Industry and Water Management contributed to a declining mortality rate falling over 30 percent from 2007 to 2016.
Women face issues with active transport due to street clutter, uneven footpaths, lack of dropped kerbs, and hazards caused by shared space with vehicles. Fifty-four percent of journeys completed wholly on foot in London are made by women yet only 6.25 percent of heads of transport bodies in Scotland are women.