U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy has a new prescription for America’s health and environmental well-being – walkable communities. In a just-released report, the Surgeon General states,“Walking helps people stay both physically and mentally healthy. It brings business districts to life and can help reduce air pollution.”
At the same time, however, Murthy acknowledges that “there are barriers to choosing even this simple form of physical activity. Many of us live in neighborhoods that can present barriers to walking,” says Murthy. “Important places, such as shops, schools, parks, or senior centers, may not be near enough to reach by walking; there may be no sidewalks; or there may be concerns about safety. Lack of time can be a barrier, as can health problems.”
To remedy the situation, the Surgeon General’s report calls for the redesign of communities “to encourage pedestrian activity and make it safer and easier for all users, including those with mobility limitations and other disabilities.” Specifically, it outlines the following strategies that the transportation, land use, and community design sector can follow to promote walking and walkable communities:
Communities should design and maintain streets and sidewalks so that walking is safe and easy. Streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks should be designed to encourage walking for people of all ages and abilities. This will improve traffic safety and keep existing sidewalks and other places to walk free from hazards.
Communities should locate schools, worksites, businesses, parks, recreational facilities, and other places that people regularly use within walkable distance of each other. They should also support safe, efficient, and easy-to-use public transit systems and transit-oriented development.
Communities should support programs and policies that make it safe and easy for residents to walk. That means providing convenient access for all users to community locations that support walking, such as walking trails, parks, recreational facilities, and college campuses.
