More than sixty volunteers took part in an “audit” of Altadena’s “Walkability Audit” on February 1, 2014.  The results of this study has become the impetus for a community-wide effort to encourage neighborhood development that is good for all Altadenans.  It has been endorsed by the Altadena Town Council, The Altadena Chamber of Commerce, and Altadena Heritage. 

To get involved with projects we are doing, please contact us at mail@BuildingABetterAltadena.org - or call us at (626) 344-7806. 

About the Altadena Walkability Project:  Neighbors Building a Better Altadena (NBBA) is partnering with Justin Robertson, an Altadena resident and Master’s candidate at UCLA, to conduct a walkability study of the Lincoln and Lake Avenue business corridors. Based on research conducted by Altadena Volunteers in the audit, Justin will produce a report on “walkability” in Altadena, including analysis of existing conditions, useful and realistic recommendations for pedestrian improvements, and best options for stimulating local economic vitality through pedestrian-friendly neighborhood improvements. Results will be made public and shared with the Altadena Town Council and Supervisor Antonovich, as well as other policymakers and community stakeholders.

What is “walkability?”  Walkability measures how friendly an area is to walking, and balances the needs of all users. Walkability factors include traffic and road conditions, land use patterns, accessibility, aesthetics, and safety.

Why walkability? Walkable neighborhoods are healthy neighborhoods: physically, socially, and economically. Studies find that residents, shoppers, and employers all prefer to live, work, and play in walkable neighborhoods. Young people are attracted to them, and senior citizens come to depend on them. Many walkability improvements are simple and inexpensive, while the payoff can be great, and many cities are turning to audits conducted by users of the streets themselves to help improve walkability for residents and visitors alike.

NBBA will work with community organizations to recruit volunteers, representative of the diversity of Altadena – age, gender, ethnicity, and residential area – to conduct the audit. The survey we’ll use has been developed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, a tool that is increasingly used by cities, planners, and the public, for such studies. On 2/1/14, from 9:30 – 2:30, volunteers will come together, receive a training, and then deploy to a portion of Lincoln or Lake Avenues, where they will make observations on the area’s walkability. Each volunteer will complete a questionnaire and return it to the training room that same day.

For more information on the Walkability Audit or to become an Audit Volunteer, please contact NBBA at mail@buildingabetteraltadena.org, or by calling NBBA at (626) 344-7806.

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About Neighbors Building A Better Altadena: NBBA is a community organization of volunteers that promotes community-wide engagement to improve Altadena’s economic development and social cohesion. 

About Justin Robertson:  Justin is an Altadena resident and has worked for Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge, the L.A. County Health Department, Carolyn Seitz’ consulting firm, and currently interns with a Los Angeles planning firm and with the Glendale Planning Department while at UCLA.   

THE WALKABILITY PROJECT
Volunteer to Help Pedestrian Friendly Development in Altadena!