Objective Previous studies on the association between physical activity (PA) and neighborhood environments (NE) focused on either objectively measuring the NE or the residents’ perception of NE. Here, we investigate which actual or perceived NE is associated with residents’ PA in Japan. Methods Two regions with an objectively assessed high and low residential density, land use mix-diversity, and street connectivity, respectively, were identified in one city. The subjects were selected using a stratified random sampling method by sex and age in each region. The NE of the subjects was objectively measured using the Geographic Information System (GIS), and the subjects' perception of the NE was assessed using a questionnaire. The daily total number of walking steps was measured with an accelerometer, and walking and cycling time were assessed by a questionnaire. Results For the female subjects, the mean cycling time, subjectively assessed as a means of transport, was significantly longer in the group with a high GIS score for the number of land use types, while the score for total number of walking steps was significantly higher among those who were aware of places to walk to, and cycling time for transport was longer for those who perceived an accessibility to post offices, banks/credit unions, gymnasiums/fitness facilities, and amusement facilities in their neighborhood. For the male subjects, the score for walking time for leisure was longer for those who perceived aesthetics and an accessibility to parks, and the score for total walking steps was significantly higher for those who perceived an accessibility to bookstores or rental video stores in their neighborhood. Conclusions The results to this study demonstrate that daily PA was high among female subjects living in a NE with land use mix-diversity, and who had an awareness of places to walk to and the accessibility to facilities for daily necessities in their neighborhood. For male subjects, daily PA was high among those who perceived the aesthetics of and accessibility to facilities for pleasure in their neighborhood. Further research is needed to determine the association between PA and NE on the basis of sex differences.

The United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs), the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Paris Agreement, were adopted in 2015. Involvement of not only national governments but also all other stakeholders including local governments is important to promote sustainable development and to achieve the goals. The question arises, therefore, of what methods should be used to best implement and assess sustainability issues at a local level. In this light, a new version of Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE), CASBEE for Cities, is introduced for assessing the sustainability of cities and communities around the world based on SDG indicators and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The tool allows users to understand the sustainability of cities and communities based on quality (Q) and environmental load (L) perspectives. The sustainability assessments show that cities in developed countries tend to have good grades for Q, but bad grades for L, while cities in developing countries tend to have the opposite trend. This will assist cities and communities in both developed and developing countries to understand urgent problems and to identify effective solutions for sustainable development.

Conducting city assessments and disclosing those results to the public is important for supporting citizens' understanding of the actual condition of their city. Such assessment and disclosure could introduce a market mechanism that can be expected to provide city governments with strong incentives to improve their city conditions and also recognizes that local policy and strategy can be the most appropriate way to address specific urban and environmental problems. The latest Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) tool, referred to as CASBEE-City, is presented. Designed specifically for city assessment, it supports local governments and other stakeholders in identifying the environmental, social and economic characteristics of their city and in quantifying the effectiveness of their city-wide policies. CASBEE-City is based on the concept of environmental efficiency and it provides a combined evaluation of a city embracing two aspects: the environmental load imposed by the city on the wider environment outside its boundary, and the quality of life (environmental, social, economic) inside the city. A city with low environmental load and high quality receives a high Built Environment Efficiency (BEE) value and is regarded as a sustainable city within the CASBEE framework. Il est important de mener des évaluations urbaines et d'en divulguer les résultats auprès du public pour aider les citoyens à comprendre ce qu'est la situation réelle de leur ville. Une telle évaluation et une telle divulgation pourraient introduire un mécanisme de marché dont on peut attendre qu'il fournisse aux municipalités de fortes incitations pour améliorer les conditions existant dans leur ville, en reconnaissant également le fait que les politiques et les stratégies locales peuvent être la manière la plus adaptée de s'attaquer à des problèmes urbains et environnementaux spécifiques. Le dernier outil proposé par le Système Exhaustif d'Evaluation de l'Efficacité du Cadre Bâti (CASBEE), dénommé CASBEE-City, est présenté. Spécialement conçu pour l'évaluation urbaine, il aide les collectivités locales et les autres parties prenantes à identifier les caractéristiques environnementales, sociales et économiques de leur ville et à quantifier l'efficacité de leurs politiques à l'échelle de la ville. CASBEE-City est basé sur le concept d'efficacité environnementale et assure une évaluation combinée d'une ville, englobant deux aspects : la charge environnementale imposée par la ville à son environnement élargi, au-delà de ses limites, et la qualité de la vie (environnementale, sociale, économique) à l'intérieur de la ville. Une ville offrant une charge environnementale faible et une qualité élevée reçoit une notation d'Efficacité du Cadre Bâti élevée et est considérée comme une ville durable dans le cadre du système CASBEE. Mots clés: efficacité du cadre bâti, villes, changement climatique, évaluation environnementale, Système Exhaustif d'Evaluation de l'Efficacité du Cadre Bâti (CASBEE), émissions de gaz à effet de serre, sociétés bas carbone, développement durable, outils urbains