Practical Tips and Resources for Navigating Strolls
Eager to make your city more walkable and encourage residents to ditch their cars? You've come to the right place! Check out this collection of tips, tools, and expert resources to help you get started:
Kickstart Your Walkable City Initiative
Making your city more walkable requires a mix of smart urban planning, infrastructure design, and community engagement. Here are some resources to help you on your journey:
Guides and Handbooks
- Walkable City Course – Available on Planetizen, this online course covers the importance of walkability and how to create more walkable places, focusing on social cohesiveness and urban design.
- Urban Planning Strategies for Public Safety – This guide provides six tactics to improve pedestrian safety and create safer public spaces, including designing safer crossings and implementing traffic calming measures.
Courses and Education
- Active Travel Study – Learn about pathways for designing walking- and cycling-friendly cities, with a focus on city-level policies to reduce emissions and promote active travel.
- Walkable City Course – Discover the intricacies of creating more walkable places in this online course offered by Planetizen.
Tools and Software
- Walk Score – Measures the walkability of a specific address, taking into account factors like proximity to amenities and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
- Urban Planning Software – Tools like GIS mapping and urban planning software can help designers and planners visualize and implement pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
Further Your Walkable City Knowledge
These organizations provide additional insights and resources to make your city more walkable:
Expert Organizations
- National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) – Offers recommendations and resources for designing pedestrian-friendly streets and public spaces.
- American Planning Association (APA) – Provides resources and guidelines for creating walkable communities and promoting sustainable urban development.
- World Health Organization (WHO) – Offers a global health perspective on creating healthy, walkable environments.
Take Inspiration from Successful Initiatives
here are some examples of successful walkable city initiatives around the world:
- Dubai Walk Master Plan – Aims to make Dubai a pedestrian-friendly hub by 2040, with a focus on sustainable urban development.
- Detroit Cultural District Revitalization Project – Transforms the Detroit Cultural District to improve pedestrian flow and boost community engagement.
Don't be afraid to take inspiration from these projects and adapt them to your own city's needs. Happy walking!
[1] Pedestrian-Friendly Architecture Guide (Source: https://www.arcadis.com/global/en/ideas/sustainability/architecture-guides/pedestrian-friendly-architecture-guide.aspx)
[2] Urban Planning Strategies for Public Safety (Source: https://www.its.caltrans.ca.gov/research/focus_areas/pedestrian-safety/Tier1/Tier1-NP_FR_PedestrianSAFETYinitiatives.pdf)
[3] Active Travel Study (Source: https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/active-mobility-and-the-sustainable-development-goals.html)
[4] Walkable City Course (Source: https://www.planetizen.com/courses/walkable-city/)
[5] Dubai Walk Master Plan (Source: https://www.dubaifuture.ae/en/future-scenarios/finding-the-right-balance-for-walking/the-city-becoming-more-pedestrian-friendly)
[6] Detroit Cultural District Revitalization Project (Source: https://www.detroitculturalcenter.org/)
Engaging in a walkable city initiative also promotes overall health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise by encouraging walking as a mode of transportation. By implementing the principles of walkable city architecture, one can enhance the lifestyle of residents and create home-and-garden spaces that are more pedestrian-friendly.
