What “Getting My Steps In” Has Taught Me About Walkability

If cities strive to meet the basic physiological human need to move our bodies, they may be pleasantly surprised at how everything else just falls into place.

Emma Durand-Wood, Safe & Productive StreetsEmma Durand-WoodApril 27, 2023walkability, canada, Canada, Safe and Productive Streets, pedestrians, urban design

This Florida Town Rode a Rail Trail to an Economic Revival

Residents of Winter Garden, FL, realized they needed to take action to revive their declining town. They did this by focusing on one straightforward goal: bring people back downtown.

Peoria Takes a Walk—And Steps Toward Reforming Its Transportation System

Through a series of walk audits, local leaders in Peoria, IL, are not only observing the urban environment, but starting to understand how small, simple actions can profoundly shape it.

Safe & Productive Streets, Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardApril 6, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, walkability, pedestrians, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, Illinois, sidewalks, Complete Streets

What a Real Estate Listing Can Tell You About a Strong Town

A real estate listing can be used as a roadmap to the attributes that Strong Towns advocates for: human-scale development, safe places to walk and bike, and responsive local government.

Incremental Housing, Safe & Productive Streets, Top StoryBen AbramsonApril 4, 2023real estate, Incremental Housing, Safe and Productive Streets, Homeownership, homeownership, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, walkability, development pattern

On the Conservative Reaction to 15-Minute Cities

On today’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck Marohn dives into controversies surrounding the concept of the 15-minute city.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Walkability, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 13, 2023Podcast, podcast, walkability, 15-Minute Cities, politics, mixed use, Neighborhoods

28 Promises Jeff Speck Says All Planners Should Make to the Public

In the 10th anniversary edition of his book Walkable City, Jeff Speck suggests a new pledge that professional planners should take in order to qualify for certification—and to better serve society.

Safe & Productive Streets, Planning Profession, Top StoryJeff SpeckMarch 6, 2023urban planning, planning profession, walkability, planning process, Jeff Speck, books, Safe and Productive Streets

Why Is It So Difficult To Build Walkable Places?

A recent report from Smart Growth America highlights the extent to which zoning laws (in a staggering percentage of U.S. communities) stifle our ability to create walkable, human-centered places.

Incremental Housing, Safe & Productive Streets, Walkability, Top StoryBen AbramsonFebruary 14, 2023zoning, walkability, Safe and Productive Streets, Incremental Housing, Smart Growth America, urbanism, suburban experiment, Development

Jeff Speck on the 10th-Anniversary Edition of Walkable City

Jeff Speck joins Chuck Marohn on the Strong Towns Podcast to talk about the latest edition of his book, Walkable City, which features 100 new pages of information for anyone wanting to make their city stronger.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Safe & Productive Streets, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 13, 2023Podcast, podcast, Safe and Productive Streets, walkability, books, Jeff Speck

Are National Parks for Commuting? DC Decision a Big Win for Human Power

During the pandemic, streets across the U.S. were reclaimed for human activity—but now, many cities are undoing those changes. Not so in DC's Rock Creek Park, where road closures have been made permanent.

Bikeability, Safe & Productive Streets, Walkability, News, Top StoryBen AbramsonJanuary 20, 2023Parks, parks, Washington DC, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, bikeability, walkability, Safe and Productive Streets, #SlowTheCars

Top of the Bottom-Up: Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands to #SlowTheCars

After the local government did nothing, this Strong Towns advocate bought a dangerous road in her community and made it safer.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, #SlowtheCars, Parking, Walkability, Success Story, Safe & Productive Streets, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 5, 2023The Bottom-Up Revolution, Hawaii, children, #SlowTheCars, walkability, Safe and Productive Streets, taking action

Main Streets Designed Like State Highways: How They Work and How To Change Them

Two prominent communities in Berkshire County, MA, are in the midst of deciding what to prioritize on their main streets: cars or people?

Not Just Bikes: Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (But It Is)

This latest Not Just Bikes video demystifies deadly street design by contrasting what it’s like to navigate streets on foot in the U.S. and Canada with what it’s like in the Netherlands.

New Tools To Visualize How Your City Could Benefit From Incremental Development

The American Enterprise Institute has released some impressive—and free—data tools for understanding housing markets and development potential. And as a bonus, attend their upcoming talks if you’re in California!

Herriges, Housing, Incrementalism, Top Story, Incremental HousingDaniel HerrigesSeptember 16, 2022housing, housing crisis, incrementalism, incremental development, incremental, Incremental Housing, Housing Crisis, walkability, California, events, event, maps

When It Comes to Child Safety, We Deserve Better Than Car Seats

With a baby on the way, I’ve been lectured multiple times about safe car seats, and heard nothing about how to minimize the most dangerous activity people do with their children: drive.

Quednau, Transportation, Top StoryRachel QuednauAugust 8, 2022Safety, children, car culture, car dependency, cars, auto-oriented, car crash, walkability, transportation

Henderson Highway Blues

A mother reflects on the fears she faces while navigating a dangerous highway with her children, as pedestrians.

#SlowtheCars, Dear Winnipeg, Walkability, Top Story, Emma Durand-WoodEmma Durand-WoodAugust 5, 2022highways, canada, Canada, Winnipeg, Safety, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly, walkability, children, #SlowTheCars

If We Build Cities for Kids, We Build Cities for Everyone

Can you walk down your local streets with your kids—without gripping their hands and anxiously eying traffic—and feel comfortable and relaxed? If not, something’s wrong with the design of those streets.

Roads and Streets, Stange, Walkability, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 3, 2022safety, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, children, streets, Safe and Productive Streets, Street Design, design, walkability, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly, pedestrian crossing

Don’t Pause the Gas Tax, Redirect It

Congressman Jake Auchincloss: "We don't need a gas tax holiday. We need a gas tax reset: an overhaul of how we approach transportation funding.”

"Streets Closed to Vehicular Traffic"

Downtown Leesburg, Virginia, goes car free for one weekend.

Walkability, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJuly 19, 2022walkability, Small Towns, small towns, Virginia, car-lite, public space, Addison Del Mastro

Our Year Without a Car (With Kids)

It’s not easy to live without a car when you have young children, but it’s certainly possible. Plus, having to walk can help you build unexpected connections with your community.