Carlisle, IA hosts workshop on walkability

Carlisle IA
Carlisle, IA photograph courtesy of City of Carlisle (via carlisleiowa.org)

Carlisle officials and local residents met with representatives from Smart Growth America on September 23 and 24, 2013 as part of a free, grant-funded technical assistance program. The workshop provided recommendations to enhance the community’s walkability, and hence safety, particularly in the area adjacent to Iowa 5, a very busy highway that bisects the city.

“Carlisle is very interested in implementing smart growth solutions. The economic and environmental well-being of our residents and businesses depends on a thoughtful and reasonable pattern of growth across our region,” said Mayor Ruth Randleman. “In fact, we see smart growth solutions as the only responsible way to address the needs of our pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.”

On September 23, Carlisle residents gathered for an introductory presentation that featured a broad overview of the state of the city’s pedestrian facilities and how a walkability audit would help improve them.

In November 2012, Carlisle was one of 22 communities selected by Smart Growth America to participate in the free technical assistance program. Stretching from Maine to Washington State, these communities represent major cities, suburban centers, and rural towns alike.

The technical workshop program is made possible through a five-year Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities, which seeks to develop local planning solutions that help communities grow in ways that benefit families and businesses, while protecting the environment and preserving a sense of place. Three other nonprofit organizations—Forterra, Global Green USA and Project for Public Spaces—also received competitively awarded grants this year to help communities get the kinds of development they want.

Workshop Materials:

Technical assistance