Creating More Walkable Latino Communities by Using ‘WayFinding’

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How can we work to make Latino communities more walkable?

Why not try pointing people in the direction of the nearest parks, cafes, shops, and other community assets?

Thanks to the Walk Your City initiative, local residents in communities all across the country are encouraging people to walk and bike to nearby areas by using a strategy called “wayfinding” that uses signs to direct people to nearby landmarks and amenities.

The idea was born when urban designer Matt Tomasulo realized that people weren’t walking much because they often thought places were farther than they actually were. After realizing this, Tomasulo created signs that used minutes instead of miles, to show people that places weren’t really that far.

Since its launch, over 100 communities (including the 48.7% Latino community of Santa Fe, NM) have have created their own Walk [Your City] campaigns.

Now, with the support of a $182,000 grant from the Knight Foundation, more communities will be able to enhance their community’s walkability thanks to a new DIY toolkit that creators of Walk Your City are looking to develop. With the toolkit, local residents will be able to use two hours of citizen input to launch a 60-sign campaign within a week.

Each sign will feature arrows and a description of how long it takes to walk to a nearby location. Some signs will also feature QR codes which users can be scanned for more information using smart phones.

The communities of Lexington, Kentucky and San Jose, California will be the first to pilot the new toolkit.

Read more about this initiative here. Learn more about Walk Your City here.

Access Salud America!’s Active Spaces resources to see why Latino children are in need of safe streets more walkable communities.