2013 Conferences

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No matter where you are in the world, there's a conference you can attend this year to learn more about the issues surrounding walkability. Here's a full list, with thanks to John Wetmore. And--if you're interested in speaking at one of these conferences, a few opportunities are currently available:

The American Public Health Association 141st Annual Meeting and Exposition

The meeting will be held Nov. 2-6, 2013 in Boston. The theme is Think Global, Act Local with a focus on best practices around the world. Find out more about the 2013 APHA Annual Meeting and submit abstracts here. The deadlines for submission of abstracts range from Feb. 4-8.

Safe Routes to School National Conference 

The conference, Building on Success—Projects, Programs, People, will be held August 13-15, 2013, in Sacramento. The Call for Session Proposals is open from January 7 through February 15. Submit proposals here. 

Photo courtesy of www.infostw.org

January
9-11  National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD); Alexandria, VA.
13-17  Transportation Research Board; Washington, DC
15-17  Nat'l Conf on Science, Policy and the Environment: Environmental Disasters; Washington, DC
17-18  EMBARQ -- Transforming Transportation; Washington, DC
17-19  U.S. Conference of Mayors, Winter Meeting; Washington, DC
21-22  Australian Cycling Conference; Adelaide, Australia
25-26  Iowa Bike Summit; Des Moines, IA
27-29  ASTM F13 Pedestrian/Walkway Safety and Footwear; Jacksonville, FL
28-2/2  National Sheriffs Association Winter Conference; Washington, DC

February

4-8  World of Concrete; Las Vegas, NV
5-6  ACORE - American Council On Renewable Energy; Washington, DC
6  Intermodes; Brussels, Belgium
7-9  New Partners For Smart Growth; Kansas City, KS
10-12  National Conference of Regions; Washington, DC
11-12  Colorado Bike Summit; Denver, CO
12-14  Professional Trail Builders Association; Albuquerque, NM
13-15  Sustainable Communities Conference; Windsor Essex, ON, Canada
15  Media That Matters, AU; Washington, DC
17-20  Conference on the Value of Play; Clemson, SC
20-23  American College of Preventive Medicine; Phoenix, AZ
21-23  AASA - American Assn. of School Administrators, National Conference on Education; Los Angeles, CA
22-24 North American Handmade Bicycle Show; Denver, CO
22-26  ATSSA - American Traffic Safety Services Assn. Convention and Traffic Expo; San Diego, CA
23  Alumni Day; Princeton, NJ
26-28  Active Living Research Conference; San Diego, CA
27-3/1  AASHTO Washington Briefing; Washington, DC

Upcoming Webinars

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January 22
Walk Talk: The SRTS Call-In Show Webinar 

Presenters:
Cheryl Wagner, Coordinator, School-Community Partnership Program, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada
Cynthia Bell, Active Trans Community Liaison, Active Transportation Alliance, Chicago, Illinois
Melissa Kraemer Badtke, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Associate Planner, East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Menasha, Wisconsin

Think talk radio is just for radio? Think again. From Mr. Anthony in the 1930s to Click and Clack, Joe and Terry, Rush, and Diane Rehm today, people love the call-in format. We ask questions, we get answers. Simple. People who work on SRTS programs are no different. We like answers to our questions, too. And now we have our own call-in show, sort of, offering expert advice to overcome the challenges we face in achieving our most ardent SRTS dreams. Walk Talk (and bike, of course): The SRTS Call-in Show Webinar, features three experts who each coordinate SRTS programs at multiple schools and who represent a mix of urban, suburban and rural SRTS programs. Between them, they've confronted and overcome all manner of obstacles and barriers. And for one hour they will devote themselves to answering your thorniest SRTS questions.

Here's how it works. You register for the Webinar in advance. You submit a question about your most formidable SRTS obstacles and barriers through the registration page, or by email. You attend the Webinar and listen as the experts grapple with the unique problems facing your SRTS program and others around the country. You ask questions, you get answers. Simple.

Register here.

January 25
Sustainability Series Webinar - New York City's Active Design Guidelines: Process and Best Practices 

Featured Speaker Ernest Hutton, FAICP, Assoc. AIA Principal, Hutton Associates, Inc.

Can transformations in the built environment inspire people to be more physically active, and make our communities healthier? According to a growing body of research, the answer is yes. The 'Active Design Guidelines' developed for New York City translate this knowledge into concrete strategies for a healthier, more sustainable future. Designers, planners, developers, and operations managers can adapt the Guidelines to their own projects to promote physical activity and help counteract the most pressing health epidemics of our time - poor physical fitness and obesity and their relationship to chronic diseases such as diabetes.

'New York City's Active Design Guidelines' is a 1-hour presentation and discussion session that will:
• explore the relationship between health and the built environment;
• provide an overview of the Guidelines and its list of urban design and building design strategies;
• examine synergies between Active Design, environmental sustainability, and universal design;
• share details on the LEED Innovation Credit for Physical Activity; and
• highlight best practices and current planning and policy initiatives.

1 AICP Credit typically available per webinar. Visit www.planning.org to add the webinar to your CM log. Register here.

January 31
Making the Most of MAP-21

A new transportation bill passed by Congress last summer, MAP-21, is changing the way transportation projects will be chosen and funded. T4 will be hosting a free online session with experts, local leaders and advocates about how to use the transportation law to the fullest in your community. Transportation for America released a new, easy-to-follow handbook last month to help communities understand the ins and outs of the new federal transportation law. And on January 31st, T4 staff and representatives from metropolitan planning organizations will host an online presentation reviewing the new law and detailing new policies and funding opportunities.

Under MAP-21 more decision-making has shifted to the state and local level, offering critical new ways for you to engage. This online presentation will explain ways you can help shape your community, including new federal grant programs and other ways to fund projects in your community, including bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, transit projects, and bridge and road repair. This presentation will offer great instruction for local elected officials—feel free to share this information with your allies.

Register here.

A New Year, A New Walk Score

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And we're back....to San Diego, that is. Moving might have its tribulations, but on the up side we've taken our already-respectable WalkScore from 78 to a stellar 94 in our (albeit temporary) new neighborhood. What do those extra 16 points mean? They mean we walk for nearly all our daily errands, from buying milk to mailing packages. They mean we've added at least 20 minutes of physical activity into our typical routine without really thinking about it. They mean our transportation costs (particularly on gas) have dropped tremendously.

But.

They don't mean we've given up driving to work. Or to visit friends. Or even to the park a mile up the road. Even in this so-called "walker's paradise" there are still many times when a car is just an easier choice. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. We often talk about how much more walkable cities that developed before the car are, but even in those pre-driving cities people still needed the horse and cart occasionally. The problem comes when we have to use our cars for every single trip, even ones that should be easier on foot. That doesn't mean everyone needs to live in a high-rise apartment building, but it does mean that we should be working to create cities with a density and diversity of uses that make walking the simpler choice for a variety of trips.