What are Walkable Communities?
Walking used to be a common way to get to places in our communities. It still is in the most vibrant and economically successful towns. The practice of using one’s automobile to go nearly everywhere these days has led to a decline in the health of children and adults and a dispersed community character. We need to use automobiles today because of the low density pattern in which communities have developed and because many communities have grown without compact town centers.
There are many components to making a community walkable. Simply building sidewalks along both sides of every road in order to provide a connected pedestrian network does not make a community walkable, although connectivity is an essential characteristic of a walkable community. For a community to be truly walkable, the distances between places people go must not be too great for purposeful walking, although it may be OK for recreational walking. People must feel safe walking. Walkways must be in good condition and the surroundings appealing. There should be places to rest along the way, especially for the elderly or others with physical limitations. Making communities walkable requires the expertise of planners, engineers and designers, and the support and persistent effort of local officials, property owners and developers.
Why are Walkable Communities Important?
The Smart Growth Tenet: Create Walkable Communities helps communities develop and redevelop in ways that provide the infrastructure and amenities to make walking a practical, safe and attractive alternative to driving. The result can be a higher quality of life to attract growth, a healthier population, a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, a reduction in air pollution and a reduction in traffic congestion and accidents.
