When Susan Handy moved to Davis, Calif., in 2002, she immediately bought a commuting vehicle: a wheeled trailer, for toting her kids behind her bike. Handy, an environmental policy analyst at the University of California, and her husband frequently pedal to work, with two preschoolers in tow. Among locals, their commute is common. Fifty miles of bike lanes ribbon Davis, which is only about 10.5 square miles in area. Handy calls Davis “a small town that really works.”

City planners, health researchers and local leaders want more U.S. communities to “really work”—and to that end, they have begun retrofitting the country, from Atlanta to Sacramento. Inspired by a new urbanism that celebrates neighborhoods and alarmed by health problems—particularly childhood obesity—these trailblazers are building paths, sidewalks and other architectural features while promoting policies and behaviors that get people moving.

This article was originally published with the title The Skinny on the Environment.

4 Comments

1. 1. RichieRich 02:06 PM 1/4/08

   I live in a rural town in Arkansas and have often commented on how beautiful the area is and at the same time so limited on trails or paths to allow someone to just get out and walk. Yes, there are state parks and such that have them, but to be able to just go outside my house
   and walk, jog or bike...not possible without getting killed by an automobile on the shoulder of the road.

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2. 2. Poor Richard Jr 01:43 AM 1/18/08

   how can you expect rational parents to allow their kids to spend their time outside when criminals are not contained ?

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3. 3. coolraffi 04:38 AM 1/18/08

   This definatley works for small towns where the population and the crime rates are low. Why don't the developers relocate parking lots further away from the stores and fast food joints??

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4. 4. CodeMonkey32 05:18 AM 1/18/08

   They don't place parking lots farther away because most people want to park close.....that's why you see people circling the parking lots for 10 minutes or so to get a good parking spot instead of parking farther away and walking for two minutes to the store. They would rather waste the gas than get some exercise.
   
   Speaking of Arkansas: Fayetteville Ar. is progressive enough to offer great trails throughout the city connecting shopping, schools, and homes without the need to cross traffic (they are using tunnels in existing storm drainage areas) .Fayetteville is now the center of a "Green Valley" that is growing at a fast rate in North West Arkansas in response to the areas sustainability push. Here's a great site set up by the city:
   
   http://www.fayetteville.com/quotgreen_valleyquot_sustainability

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