Create your own DIY public signage for a walkable city

From lobster boats blockading coal shipments to a renegade activist who shut down an entire power plant, there are some forms of environmental direct action that are forever destined to be a thorn in the side of the authorities.

And then there's Walk [Your City]

It was originally conceived of as a guerrilla "wayfinding" campaign, in which Matt Tomasulo designed and posted signage around Raleigh, NC, promoting just how easy it is to walk to get around. But as Alex already reported, while the signage was originally unsanctioned, Raleigh's powers that be unanimously voted to reinstate the signage as a pilot program to see how it performed. Tomasulo, however, wasn't satisfied with shifting perceptions in Raleigh. He also launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund an open source platform for designing and creating your own signage for your own city.

That site is now up and operational, and citizens around the country are using it to help themselves and others reimagine their urban spaces.

Read more: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/create-your-own-diy-public-signage-walkable-city.html

Preserve your brain, live in a walkable neighborhood

Walkable neighborhoods are great on many levels. The latest news is that they help to preserve your brain.

I've lived in 9 neighborhoods in the past 9 years. Several of those have been very walkable neighborhoods, but some more than others of course. I've realized in my current one, one of the most walkable yet, that a nice, walkable neighborhood is a tremendous value that cannot be quantified by calculating the transportation and time savings. Well, I have known that for ages, but it has really been registering for me lately as I walk with my wife and baby daughter to one wonderful park ~3 minutes away, a huge park/forest ~5 minutes away, or a low-key but super useful shopping center ~4 minutes away. If I miss a day of walking around the neighborhood, or if I haven't yet been out as the mid-afternoon rolls around, I can feel something is just not right — with my body and with my head.

Still, this recent piece of news surprised me: a study from the University of Kansas has found that "neighborhoods that motivate walking can stave off cognitive decline in older adults." My guess is that such neighborhoods also help with the cognitive functions of not-so-elderly adults and children as well.

Read more: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/preserve-your-brain-live-walkable-neighborhood.html