Consideration of Young People's Active Travel in National Urban Policy Documents in Asia: A Documentary Analysis

Background: Active travel to school faces challenges in urbanized and car-centric Asian regions. The UN-Habitat supports global governments in formulating National Urban Policies (NUPs) for sustainable urban development. This study examined how young people’s active travel is discussed in NUP documents in selected Asian countries. Methods: Framing analysis using thematic coding was applied to NUP documents from Asian countries. NUP documents were identified via the UN-Habitat’s Urban Policy Platform website. A theory-based framework, using both inductive and deductive coding, was employed to identify discussions on key themes related to young people’s active travel (active travel, transport, physical activity, young people, and school). A semiquantitative heat map visualized theme patterns coverage (presence; degree of policy-relevant detail discussed). Results: NUP documents from 15 (of 47) Asian countries were retrieved. Transport promotion was acknowledged in 11/15 countries. Discussions on young people’s active travel were limited (7/15 featured detailed discussion). Main themes (active travel, physical activity, young people, and school) were treated as secondary considerations, with active travel framed as a utilitarian solution rather than a well-being promoter. Additional contextual considerations (sustainability, natural disaster risk, pollution, and urban congestion) were identified through inductive analysis. Conclusions: NUPs inadequately incorporate active travel, especially in relation to young people. NUPs focus on transport and sustainability while neglecting physical activity, schools, and youth. A more intersectoral approach, tailored to each country’s priorities, is necessary for enhanced policy development. Leveraging active travel as a double-duty intervention allows policymakers to tackle health and sustainability challenges along with concerns about traffic congestion and pollution.