University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Members of the UALR and University District community are encouraged to participate in a workshop and walk audit on Monday, January 9, with Dan Burden, the nation’s leading walkability expert, to discuss ways that the University District can advance active transportation and make streets safer for all modes of transportation – from walking and rolling to driving and riding.

The event will kick off at 12:45 p.m. with a workshop presentation at the Donaghey Student Center (Rooms A, B, C), followed by a walking audit, or walking workshop, of the District, where participants can experience first-hand conditions that impact walking and biking in that neighborhood. For residents who know the District well, this is a chance to view the area through a new lens, and to share the experience with others who are passionate about creating and maintaining a safe, walkable, and healthy community. Burden, executive director of the nonprofit Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, will lead a debrief and make recommendations following the audit. The event will conclude by 5 p.m.

The workshop is made possible by the University District Partnership, the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention (ArCOP), and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute. The workshop will highlight links between economic vitality, public health and transportation. “In many parts of the country, we have engineered activity out of our daily lives by building streets that accommodate only cars, not people,” Burden said. “Unfortunately, this has negatively affected the health and economic vitality of our communities. We can do better.”

“With obesity rates on the rise and the epidemic being most dramatic in the south, it is time to make a change,” said ArCOP Co-Chairman Joy Rockenbach. “Nine of the 10states with the highest adult obesity rates are southern states. Studies have shown that people are more likely to exercise if they can fit activity into their daily lives because time and schedule are the primary reasons most of us put off exercising.” This is one goal workshop: to make the healthy choice the easiest choice. Presently, one in three adults and one in five children in Arkansas are obese.

You may participate in a portion of the workshop and tours if you don’t have the full afternoon available. Wear your walking shoes.

RSVP to rrcopeland@ualr.edu to participate in the walk audit.