Making Cities Livable!

Caption: a highly walkable, vibrant district. Notice how the wide crosswalk gives pedestrians clear priority.

A team of three Trailnet Staffers:
Executive Director, Ann Mack
Director of Community Programs, Cindy Mense
Active Living Program Manager, Phil Valko

attended the International Making Cities Livable Conference in Santa Fe, NM, June 2-5. The conference was focused on “Designing the Healthy City” with a special focus on children. It could not have been a better fit for Trailnet's work. The conference was a very multi-disciplinary conference, much like the groups that Trailnet works with throughout the region, with representatives from city councils, planning departments, public health officials, developers, green builders, not-for-profit folks, and more.

It was a fascinating 4 days, and we are bringing back many great ideas to incorporate into our work in the St. Louis region. As we met leaders from across the world, it was immediately clear that there is a growing international movement to create livable cities that:
- promote resident health
- foster a strong sense of community
- are economically vibrant and sustainable
- accommodate and maintain quality housing for people of all economic levels
- conserve precious resources (green design)
- encourage creativity and playfulness

All these things are becoming increasingly important as gas prices continue to rise and America keeps getting fatter and grumpier.

Throughout the course of the next few days / weeks we will be posting stories, ideas, and inspiration from the conference. We've invited the folks we met in Santa Fe to send us their ideas and inspiration to post here, as well. Check back soon!