Open data-driven analytics for active and healthy municipalities: A systematic review

Urban municipalities are increasingly relying on open data and digital technologies to support the planning of environments that promote physical activity, active mobility and equitable access to urban resources with a direct impact on population health. From the perspective of preventive medicine and population health, the integration of urban, environmental and mobility information is a key opportunity to design evidence-based strategies aimed at promoting active lifestyles and reducing health inequalities. However, the scientific evidence linking open data, healthy municipalities, physical activity, and smart cities remains fragmented. This systematic review, developed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement, analyses how the literature indexed in Scopus addresses the convergence between these areas from a perspective applied to health decision-making support. A search was conducted in Scopus (TITLE-ABS-KEY) covering the period from 2015 to 2025, based on four conceptual blocks, which identified 96 documents, of which 60 studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis. The results show a marked increase in publications since 2020 and a predominance of applied analytical approaches, highlighting the use of geographic information systems, transitability and accessibility indices and emerging digital techniques such as sensor data and urban metrics derived from images. Although most studies combine multiple domains to assess urban determinants of physical activity and health, challenges remain associated with methodological heterogeneity and limited evolution of impact in terms of health outcomes. Overall, the findings underscore the need to move towards standardised and reproducible indicators and to strengthen data-based policy evaluation from the perspective of health, especially in small and medium-sized municipalities.