Active school transport highlighted by Trafikverket in national initiative to increase everyday physical activity

Luleå University of Technology’s project active school transport has been highlighted as a good example as Trafikverket, The Swedish Transport Administration, together with eleven other government agencies and Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, SALAR, signs a joint declaration of intent to promote increased physical activity in society. The declaration lends political weight to efforts supporting children’s active travel to school and strengthens opportunities to integrate physical activity into community planning.

On 10 February, the Swedish Transport Administration, together with eleven other agencies and SALAR, signed a declaration of intent to work jointly towards a society that promotes physical activity. The aim is to contribute to better health, increased safety and more sustainable development.

In connection with the signing, the Swedish Transport Administration referred to Luleå University of Technology’s project active school transport as a good example of how physical activity can be integrated into children’s daily lives by encouraging walking and cycling to school. The project seeks to inspire children to walk or cycle to school. Increased physical activity not only contributes to better health, but also to improved learning and development, reduced environmental impact and enhanced road safety. The work is carried out by an interdisciplinary research team and is funded in part by Vinnova.

“The declaration of intent provides political backing and a shared vision of physical activity as a societal issue – not merely a collection of individual projects. It strengthens the legitimacy of integrating active school transport as part of broader objectives for public health, the environment and community planning,” says Anna-Karin Lindqvist, Professor at Luleå University of Technology and project leader of active school transport.

According to Anna-Karin Lindqvist, the declaration marks an important normative shift.

“It shows that walking and cycling – including for children – are seen as part of the solution, not merely a transport choice. Children’s everyday physical activity is specifically emphasised, which aligns closely with the project’s aim of integrating physical activity and learning within the school environment. It also helps ensure that everyday physical activity is prioritised in decision-making,” she says.

Strategic Collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration

The Swedish Transport Administration is a key partner in the work on active school transport. The agency is not only one of the signatories to the declaration of intent, but is also involved in developing a national recommendation for active school transport together with Luleå University of Technology, the The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), and other stakeholders.

In addition, the Swedish Transport Administration contributes expertise and data on road safety as well as walking and cycling infrastructure – factors that are crucial to enabling children to move around safely in their everyday lives.

Focus on Implementation and Norm Change

At present, the active school transport project is disseminating educational materials and tools to schools and municipalities via a web platform, communicating research findings through seminars and podcasts, and developing working methods that integrate learning, participation and physical activity into everyday school life.

Looking ahead, the focus will be on implementing the national recommendation widely across municipalities and schools, monitoring effects on health, travel habits and the climate, and continuing the normative and policy work needed to make active school transport a natural part of community planning.

“Through the new declaration of intent, the work gains further momentum – and children’s everyday physical activity is given a clearer place on the national policy agenda,” says Anna-Karin Lindqvist.

More about the active school transport project.

Trafikverket absout the declaration (in Swedish).