How buildings shape occupant movement: a systematic review and framework

The built environment influences human behaviour, including physical activity, with implications for occupant health and wellbeing. While urban-scale factors affecting the movement of people in cities have been widely studied, the role of building-scale factors in shaping occupant physical activity in buildings remains underexplored. This systematic review highlights this uncharted research avenue and synthesises evidence from studies across disciplines. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 42 articles are systematically reviewed. Investigated building-level factors are categorised into design and operation attributes, and their impact is analysed across different activity levels. Some of the design-related attributes considered (i.e. spatial layout, presence and types of places of interest, and stair features) emerge as significant factors influencing movement in buildings. In contrast, evidence on operational factors, such as temperature and daylight, remains limited and inconsistent. Given the limited number of studies on the topic and the wide range of building programmes, populations and contextual conditions investigated in the literature, no generalisable conclusions can be drawn. A conceptual framework and research agenda are proposed to guide future studies on how the design and operation of buildings can actively promote movement and improve public health.

PRACTICE RELEVANCE

This review highlights the often-overlooked role of occupant physical activity in the context of healthy and sustainable buildings, whose focus has traditionally been on thermal comfort, air quality and other health-related occupant responses, such as sleep quality and stress. By integrating physical activity into the building performance umbrella, this study encourages researchers, designers, architects, engineers and public health practitioners to recognise physical activity as a critical outcome of building design and operation. This study also aims to inspire future research to establish stronger cause-and-effect relationships and provide evidence-based, actionable movement-supportive strategies—such as optimising layouts, enhancing access to shared spaces and adjusting operational building systems—that can be directly applied for designing, renovating, and operating buildings to promote healthier and more active lifestyles.