This article is an opinion piece in response to our Jan. 18 post, Empty dirt lot in Midtown Miami to become green space. Have something to say about Wynwood and Midtown? Submit your own post, or find us on Facebook.

I live right across the empty lot. And I truly believe we should have a playground for the kids that live in this community. Another great asset would be a gym area like the ones they have in many parks. I’m a health coach and I truly believe this area needs something to help the community get back into being healthier and living a healthier lifestyle. Having a park area along with a gym area would truly make a difference.

People’s participation in physical activity is influenced by the built, natural and social environments in which they live as well as by personal factors such as sex and age and ability, time and motivation. This area would be great for creating an environment that promote opportunities for physical activity and active living both for kids, adults and even our pets.

Physical activity is an essential component of any strategy that aims to seriously address the problems of sedentary living and obesity among children and adults. Active living contributes to individual physical and mental health but also to social cohesion and community well-being.

Opportunities for being physically active are not limited to sports and organized recreation. They exist everywhere – where people live and work, in neighborhoods and in educational and health establishments.

The way we build our cities, design the urban environment and provide access to the natural environment can be a great encouragement or a great barrier to physical activity and active living. Other barriers exist in the social environments within which people work, learn, play and live.

Opportunities for physical activity need to be created close to where people live, together with creating cleaner, safer, greener and more activity-friendly local environment. We can provide a clean and attractive environment that invites people to be active in their neighborhoods.

For those with dogs: research suggests that dog owners spend more time in moderate physical activities than non-owners. One study found that dog owners walked on average 300 minutes per week versus 168 minutes per week among non-dog owners. This has important implications for urban design; for example, ensuring that older people can safely walk their dogs in their neighborhoods and providing off-leash areas where dog owners can enjoy active play with their dogs. At the same time, rules related to safety and cleanliness need to be strictly enforced: no loose dogs in the community and owners must clean up after their dog.

Creating healthy, active cities is becoming an accepted and admired practice that is supported by residents, businesses and professionals in a variety of discipline.

I truly believe this area (empty dirt lot) should have a playground for kids and a gym area. This can be a simple yet efficient thing to do while we wait to see what they truly want to build there.