Kaid Benfield
By Kaid Benfield
About a year ago, NRDC Executive Director Peter Lehner asked me what one word, if I had to choose, would most closely describe a smart, sustainable community. Peter thought that the word might be density. But I chose walkability instead.
It is important to have a certain (though not necessarily high) level of density in a sustainable neighborhood. But we also need the right design, with connected streets, a pleasant environment that incorporates a variety of places to go and things to do, and that includes nature. We need our community to feel and be safe for us to be out and about. (The popsicle and Halloween tests are instructive here.) All these things contribute to walkability.
There’s more on the list, of course, certainly including good jobs, and places for a variety of ages and income levels to live. But I would start with walkability. If it feels good and useful to walk in a neighborhood, with things to walk to, we’re likely a significant way toward our goal. . . .The article highlights the following as key places people want to walk to:
Click here for the rest of this article on the importance of walkability.
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