Blog

Libraries: The New Engine of Community Engagement and Walkable Neighborhood Advocacy

This is a guest blog by Noah Lenstra, Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Noah has been keeping an eye on how public libraries support walking since 2016 as part of his Let’s Move in Libraries initiative. Contact: lenstra@uncg.edu / @NoahLenstra Ask for a phrase using … Continue reading Libraries: The New Engine of Community Engagement and Walkable Neighborhood Advocacy →

Balancing the “Fierce Urgency of Now” and Humanizing Every Victim of Traffic Violence

This guest blog is a foreword written by Charles T. Brown, MPA, CPD, Senior Researcher and Adjunct Professor at Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. Register here for our September 8th webinar for a conversation with Angie Schmitt, author of “Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America”.  Follow … Continue reading Balancing the “Fierce Urgency of Now” and Humanizing Every Victim of Traffic Violence →

Walkability is a Health Justice Issue in Philadelphia

This blog post was written by Lee Scottlorde, an America Walks Walking College  Fellow based in Philadelphia. As a walk leader and organizer for Girltrek, the largest national public health organization that encourages Black women to walk 30 min a day for their health and well-being and We Walk PHL, a program that has established … Continue reading Walkability is a Health Justice Issue in Philadelphia →

Community Change Grant Update: Shinnecock Indian Nation

America Walks is pleased to learn how the Community Change Grant has kick-started efforts to slow down traffic and improve safety in the tribal community of Shinnecock Indian Nation. Our Community Change Grant program, which will open up again in the fall of 2020, supports local efforts to create safe, accessible, and enjoyable places to … Continue reading Community Change Grant Update: Shinnecock Indian Nation →

A Word from America Walks’ New Executive Director Mike McGinn

I am thrilled to be the new Executive Director of America Walks – founded in 1996 to support local advocacy for walkable communities.  Both the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide protests against police brutality emphasize the need to transform our places to make them truly safe for everyone. In an era of social distancing, the … Continue reading A Word from America Walks’ New Executive Director Mike McGinn →

Walking Promotes Mental Health – How to Encourage More Ambling, Strolling, Striding and Hiking in All Communities

This is a guest blog by Tyler Norris, Kate Kraft and Wendy Landman. When you go for a walk or a roll, you’re not just moving your body from place to place. Something’s happening to your brain. Your mind clears. As your muscles warm up and your back straightens, your stress lessens. By the time … Continue reading Walking Promotes Mental Health – How to Encourage More Ambling, Strolling, Striding and Hiking in All Communities →

For George Floyd and So Many Others, How Can We Do Better?

Walking, moving, occupying our cities, neighborhoods, public spaces and streets without death or fear of death is a basic human right. Anything less is unacceptable. We can talk about the myriad of ways that walking intersects with what is happening in our streets right now. George Floyd was walking when officers led him onto the sidewalk before … Continue reading For George Floyd and So Many Others, How Can We Do Better? →

Austin Reclaims its Public Space With “Healthy Streets”

This is a guest blog post by Gabe Colombo, an urban design intern at Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design in Austin and a master’s student in architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. People love taking back their streets. The city of Bogotá, Colombia, has been closing its streets to automobile traffic … Continue reading Austin Reclaims its Public Space With “Healthy Streets” →

World Walking: Your virtual ticket to some of the greatest places on Earth

  This is a guest blog post by Duncan Galbraith, founder of World Walking.  On December 30, 2019, an inspirational group from Oceanside, Long Island, New York, led by Assistant Superintendent, Diane Provvido, became the first school district in the USA to walk all 48 contiguous US states; an epic virtual journey of 13,400 miles … Continue reading World Walking: Your virtual ticket to some of the greatest places on Earth →

Making Meaning and Finding Solutions for a Better Future and 5 Tips for Sparking Walkable Community Change

This blog was written by Kate Kraft, America Walks’ Executive Director. Kate provides seamless leadership and years of experience within the walking and active living movements to build prestigious partnerships, develop programs, and expand the walking movement. Kate is an expert in environmental and policy approaches to promote healthy lifestyles/built environments and is a spokesperson … Continue reading Making Meaning and Finding Solutions for a Better Future and 5 Tips for Sparking Walkable Community Change →