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As more than one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, designers and planners are tasked with creating walkable, safe environments that are accessible for even our youngest walkers.
Unfortunately, many U.S. neighborhoods were created with isolation and selectivity in mind. The farther away from walkable destinations, the less chance outsiders wander in.
So how do we apply the connected, urban design of the Atlanta BeltLine or New York City’s Highline to more suburban areas? We must strive to create safe, interesting routes from neighborhoods to schools and places of employment to encourage active transportation for all.
2 comments
Delighted (why is this in caps?) to see the hugely important focus on designing for children addressed. This will be looked at in depth at the upcoming Park Pride conference on Parks and play. March 21st at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Conference details at http://www.parkpride.org/conference/ Walkability, playability…all lead to better, healthier, more creative lives for our children.
(take out caps comment. I see that that changes when posted.)