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Shawn Koval, Healthy School Coordinator, introduced our new Walking Scavenger Hunt and explained the reason this was created. We have partnered with the City of Madison on their Walktober activities promoting walking activities in October. Additionally, we are interested in hearing from community members about their feelings about safety and ability to walk in their neighborhood. During COVID, gathering people for a walk audit is not possible. We are hopeful that we, with our partners, can disseminate a child-friendly, fun, Scavenger Hunt to promote family activity AND to collect data and voice around neighborhood infrastructure and environment improvements.
We provided the link to the Scavenger Hunt form to participants. Shawn asked the group to think about the walk from the lens of someone else - maybe someone with limited mobility, or someone who was older? Everyone then signed off to take a walk on a sunny day!
Following the walk, the group reconvened and shared feedback on ways to improve the Scavenger Hunt tool. Here are some of the comments:
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The Hunt should include transit options like bus stops.
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The question about cross walks should include a way to indicate if there is a crosswalk by a school or community center (focus on places where there are lots of walkers and bikers, not just lots of traffic).
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Perhaps add a way for people to select a degree of the infrastructure item – like, sidewalks on one side of the street. Changing the language to show partial amounts of these items would be more inclusive.
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Is there a separated, multi-use path (not just sidewalks)?
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Wording change: “Is there a safe place to walk or bike not in traffic?”
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“Was there a sidewalk or path to walk on outside of the road?”
Other suggestions shared in the chat:
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Did you pass any little free libraries or little free pantries?
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Consider adding another open-ended question at the end - When I am walking in this neighborhood, I feel ____ because __________.
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Consider asking a question about whether they feel the sidewalks are wide enough. Kids may not otherwise think that could be possible.
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I surprised myself just comfortable crossing a road when cars were passing intermittently and then I brought myself back to the corner and said, ok If I was a person with special needs or a young kid, would I feel this safe crossing here with no markings on the crosswalk? My final answer was no. So thanks for the invitation to think that way.
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This is a really great tool. I like the exercise re: thinking about it from another's perspective.
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Wide enough during COVID is tricky! Whenever we passed someone on the sidewalk today, we or the other person walked out of the sidewalk and sometimes into the street because of social distancing, etc.
Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their suggestions.
A small group then met to discuss Health Equity Around Active Transportation
The Healthy Kids staff participated in an America Walks webinar by Dr. Lawrence Brown on his book “The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America.” We had a conversation with Dr. Brown, who is currently at the UW-Madison, Population Health Institute about this work, and the history of redlining in Madison. We wonder whether a conversation about the development of neighborhoods in Dane County could be a starting place for community engagement around complete streets?
The group discussed other resources that exist around the development of Madison, including:
In addition, Capital Area Regional Planning Association (CAPRC) hosted a session this summer entitled “The History of Racism in Professional Planning” by Assistant Professor Paige Glotzer. The presentation can be accessed here – scroll to the middle of the newsletter for the link.
The group agreed that there is much interest in this topic and discussed community partners who might be interested in partnering on this community conversation.
We're looking forward to seeing you again soon! Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 27, 3-4:30 pm.
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Flattening the Inequity Curve: A Message From Pepe Barros
Healthy Kids' meetings are always insightful, inspiring, and fun! Mark your calendars and plan to join us for our next meeting.
