Happening Tuesday, February 14th
Conducting a Walk Audit is the first step for many walkable community advocates, and it often leads to positive community change for people of all ages.
Join America Walks and AARP Livable Communities on Tuesday, February 14th for a webinar titled The Walk Audit: An Effective Tool for Community Change, which will include an announcement about new resources and funding. A panel of Walking College Fellows will discuss their experience using Walk Audits to engage the public, build awareness of the importance of walkable design, identify specific pedestrian safety issues, and advance policy and community development goals. An extremely versatile tool, a Walk Audit can be conducted alone, with a group of other concerned residents to document needed changes, or with public officials who have the power to do something about it.
After registering for this webinar, review America Walks’ How to Conduct a Walk Audit video and AARP’s Walk Audit Tool Kit. Then, learn about the AARP Community Challenge grant program, which helps communities become great places for people of all ages. In 2023, a new funding opportunity – Capacity-Building Microgrants – combines $2,500 in funding with training, cohort learning opportunities, and one-on-one coaching from America Walks to help communities to implement Walk Audits.
We will be joined by:
Rebecca Delphia serves as the lead organizer for the annual AARP Livable Communities Workshop and she manages AARP Livable’s training and technical assistance programs. She previously served as an associate state director for community outreach with AARP Pennsylvania.
Before joining AARP, Rebecca held an appointment as the first-ever chief service officer in the Pittsburgh Mayor’s Office. In that role, she developed and implemented high-impact, volunteer-fueled initiatives that tackled pressing city needs with a focus on the revitalization of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods.
Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s of social work degree from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, where she was a scholar in the Catherine B. Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship. Rebecca and her family are proud to call Pittsburgh their home.
Kevin has been the public works director for the Town of Carbondale for a little over six years. Prior to that he was the city engineer for the City of Farmington, MN, for 10 years and worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation in various roles for 12 years.
Whitney Jibben lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and serves as the Assistant Dean of Students at Augustana University with 15 years of experience in higher education administration. Whitney graduated from the SD Walking College in 2021 and along with a passion for walkability, Whitney enjoys reading, watching hockey, volunteering with Health Connect SD, and spending time with her family of six and two dogs.
Niki Delson is retired from a 40-year career as a licensed clinical social worker. She was a commissioner on the Carbondale, Colorado Bicycle/Pedestrian/Trails Commission and is a founder and Co-Chair of the Carbondale Age-Friendly Community Initiative. Niki is also a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and grassroots community organizer.
Ariel Hamburger is a Land Use and Environmental Planner with San Diego County – a position she obtained in 2021 partly as a result of her Walking College experience. Ariel sees improvements to the food system and built environment as a proxy of social justice and believes these approaches have the ability to transform underserved communities. Ariel works on a variety of policies, programs, and projects at the intersection of environmental justice and health equity. Prior to working at the County, Ariel worked on healthy food access issues at the UC San Diego Center for Community Health and also worked on cross-border issues through the County’s Office of Border Health. She graduated with honors from San Diego State University with a Master’s in Public Health and a Master’s in Latin American Studies.
What to Expect
With every webinar we host, our goal is to provide attendees with new information and knowledge to walk away with and perhaps apply in their own communities and advocacy efforts.
After attending this webinar, we hope participants will be able to:
- Explain why and how to conduct Walk Audits to advance walkable community goals
- Use the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit to start planning your own Walk Audit and give examples of successful community outcomes other advocates have achieved after using the Tool Kit
- Apply for an AARP Community Challenge grant, including the capacity-building microgrant opportunity focused on improving community walkability
The Walk Audit: An Effective Tool for Community Change
Like all of our webinars, this will be recorded and available after the fact. But you’ll want to join us in real-time if you can for the opportunity to ask questions of our guests and live-tweet along with us. You’ll also receive ample resources and additional materials if you RSVP.
