Promoting Walkable Cities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has created a campaign called "Step It Up!" This campaign is dedicated to encouraging Americans to walk more in an effort to educate about the importance of physical activity.

This campaign focuses on walkable communities in an effort to improve public health. Their message begins with tragic statistics about the number of Americans who are suffering from chronic disease and follows up with the fact that walkable cities and communities can help decrease this number and increase the number of healthy Americans around the country.

But it doesn't end there. The campaign also mentions several other benefits to creating walkable communities: "Walkable communities and communities where more people walk offer opportunities for personal interaction and social involvement. Communities designed to be walkable have the potential to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases because people may choose to walk or bike rather than drive. Finally, walkable communities are attractive places for businesses to locate, which may help local economies thrive."

These implications make their campaign appear more than just improving public health, but improving health of communities overall and the planet. In order to make Americans "Step It Up," their plan holds five goals that will aim to encourage walking in the U.S.

1. Establish walking as a national priority

2. Create communities that make it safe and convenient to walk

3. Encourage programs and laws that support walking in common places

4. Inform others about walking and how to improve walkability

5. Complete research related to walking and walkability

This campaign strongly relates to Janette Sadik-Khan's novel "Street Fight," specifically chapter five. In this chapter, Sadik-Khan emphasizes the importance of walkable cities. She explains that the definition of a walkable city is one that "sidewalk design can encourage walking by creating opportunities for things to do and see along the way" (p. 75). Her primary point being, walkable cities are extremely important and influential in constructing a unified, communicative community. And this form of transportation requires fewer rules and more face-to-face interaction with our community.

Although Sadik-Khan does not take such a health perspective as the "Step It Up!" campaign does, their approaches for increasing walkability is similar. The campaign defines their goal of a walkable city is to make sure "communities are created or enhanced to make it safe and easy to walk and that pedestrian activity is encouraged for people of all ages and ability." The best way to do that is to continue performing projects like Sadik-Khan has. For example, her project to reconstruct Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (DUMBO) is an excellent example of a space where pedestrian activity is encouraged. When Sadik-Khan transformed a few parking spots into a pocket plaza. This mini plaza was created from the use of paint, plants, and patio tables and chairs. With minimal resources, Sadik-Khan transformed a once non-walkable location into a place where pedestrians could walk to meet up with friends, sit and have a cup of coffee, or simply cross the street in a safer fashion.

Although the "Step It Up!" campaign primarily calls for policies and laws to encourage more walking and walking communities, it is clear that minimal infrastructure can help accomplish the goal of having Americans walk more. Although Sadik-Khan does not focus as much on the benefits of physical fitness from walking, she views the bigger picture of the situation in that people can not walk for their health if they have no way to do it or are scared to try.