Tag Archives: walking

America’s most charming walkable neighborhood is in…

Los Angeles! Yes, you read that correctly. The city known for miles of freeways and lengthy traffic jams is also home to what this retired urban planner feels is the most charming walkable neighborhood in the United States. In fact, … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, books, Cars, cities, civics, culture, density, engineering, entertainment, environment, fitness, fun, geography, health, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, mountains, nature, new urbanism, parking, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, skylines, spatial design, technology, third places, topography, tourism, traffic, trails, transportation, Travel, urban design, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A single sidewalk can make a huge difference

It’s not often when one can witness the palpable difference infrastructure can make on the micro level. However, a small summer cottage beach neighborhood on Lake Wawasee, Indiana presents just such an opportunity. Here, the Natti Crow Beach neighborhood installed … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, art, bicycling, Biking, civics, Communications, culture, entertainment, family, fun, health, hiking, history, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, lakes, land use, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, spatial design, third places, transportation, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

15.3 million footsteps from Istanbul to Xian!

Over the course of four years (1999-2002), author and retired journalist Bernard Ollivier trekked the ancient Silk Road on foot from Istanbul, Turkey to Xian, China. He accomplished this monumental 7,500 mile (12,000 km) feat by overcoming aches, pains, illnesses, … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, archaeology, architecture, art, Asia, book reviews, books, China, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, Cuisine, culture, diversity, education, entertainment, environment, family, fun, geography, health, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, injustice, land use, Language, literature, Maps, military, natural history, nature, opinion, pictures, place names, placemaking, politics, pollution, reading, recreation, Religion, Statistics, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, trails, transportation, Travel, walking, weather, Wildlife, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The zen of walking labyrinths – UPDATE #7

*Updates since the previous update are shown in bold. One of my favorite pastimes for both relaxation and contemplation is to walk a labyrinth. These sinuous structures are not same as mazes, as the goal is to enjoy the journey … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art, civility, culture, entertainment, hiking, history, land use, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, Religion, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Every city should have a signature hiking trail

Having hiked in numerous places around the United States and in a few other nations (Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Portugal), I have found that hiking is an excellent method to become better acquainted with a new place on a … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, advertising, Advocacy, agriculture, Alternative transportation, branding, cities, civics, civility, Communications, culture, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, environment, fitness, fun, geography, health, hiking, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, marketing, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, sustainability, third places, topography, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scaling Santa Fe’s Sun Mountain Trail

We spent our late Wednesday afternoon scaling one of the most scenic urban hiking trails one can imagine. The Sun Mountain Trail in Santa Fe, New Mexico is a visual and technical delight. Rising some 813 feel above the roadside … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, cities, deserts, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, Geology, health, hiking, infrastructure, land use, Maps, nature, placemaking, planning, recreation, Statistics, topography, tourism, trails, Travel, urban planning, walking, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hiking New Mexico’s 4th of July Canyon/Cerro Blanco Loop

We spent a lovely autumn Sunday afternoon trekking 4.7 miles at elevation in Cibola National Forest, southeast of Albuquerque. Our hike began at approximately 7,500 foot elevation and included 936 feet of change over the entire trail route. The loop … Continue reading

Posted in entertainment, Environment, fun, geography, health, hiking, Maps, Nature, recreation, spatial design, Statistics, topography, tourism, trails, Travel, Uncategorized, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The longest bike and/or footbridges in the USA or Canada

The following working list identifies the longest bicycle and pedestrian bridges in the United States and Canada based on the length (in feet) of their main span. A separate list of bridges that may be long enough to join this … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, archaeology, architecture, art, bicycling, Biking, bridges, Canada, cities, entertainment, fitness, fun, geography, health, hiking, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, pictures, placemaking, planning, recreation, rivers/watersheds, States, Statistics, topography, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fort Wayne’s three iconic bicycle/pedestrian bridges

Completed over the past dozen years, three stunning bicycle/pedestrian bridges now link the Purdue University-Fort Wayne campus trail network to the City of Fort Wayne’s Rivergreenway System. It’s hard to describe how impressive these three structures are, but the architectural … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, Biking, cities, economic development, education, fitness, fun, health, hiking, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The great Iowa landmark foot/bike bridge competition

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, in the State of Iowa, there appears to be a friendly flattery competition going on between cities in the Hawkeye State to construct the most iconic foot or bicycle … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, Biking, bridges, cities, civics, commerce, downtown, economic development, geography, health, hiking, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, recreation, Statistics, third places, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment