Teams from nine small communities (between 2,000 and 18,000) across Alabama gathered in Montevallo for the “ACE Communities Workshop on Walkable and Vibrant Small Towns.” Each team included a planner, a transportation engineer, a public health professional, an elected official, and ask advocate, with several other groups represented, such as educators, health care practitioners, and foundations.
The all-day workshop, facilitated by America Walks’ Ian Thomas, consisted of presentations on best practices in creating walkable communities, a panel discussion featuring staff from state agencies and organizations talking about available resources, a pop-up traffic calming demonstration and series of walkability audits, and structured asset-mapping and goal-setting activities designed to kick-start these teams’ “walkable community planning processes.”
Watch a summary video and learn more about tactical urbanism for inclusive community design below!