Exercise rates among urban residents of the U.S. are declining; fewer than 50 percent of adults and 40 percent of youth meet U.S. guidelines for physical activity.

A new study found that neighborhood features such as bike facilities, low crime rates, and built environment features in parks and on greenways such as “interesting things to look at” promote leisure physical activity.

Diverse, attractive and walkable neighborhoods around workplaces support walking, bicycling and use of public transit, according to a new study from the Prevention Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Researchers conducted phone interviews with 2,015 adults in 4 metropolitan areas of Missouri in 2012-2013.Those interviewed were asked about what could encourage them to engage in physical activity near their home and work places.

The Preventive Research Centre is a collaboration between the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine and Brown School and St Louis University School of Public Health.

This study was published online November 6, 2014 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.