The American Planning Association is the national professional and advocacy organization working to promote good planning practices. Earlier this year, the organization sponsored a national poll to determine what people think about their communities and planning.
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Some of the key findings were:
1. People like communities with sidewalks and transit
2. People want to be able to age in place and shop local
3. People don't care as much about being able to walk to their jobs and businesses as they do about having access to sidewalks generally
4. Bike facilities are somewhat less important to respondents than walking and transit facilities
5. There was strong support for planners as change agents, somewhat less support for non-profit professionals, environmentalists and academics
There is plenty more in the full report. Check it out here.
Active Transportation Alliance employs several planners who specialize in active transportation planning, policy and program development. These planners join with the other staff at Active Trans to work each year with more than 100 local governments on efforts to improve biking, walking and transit in the Chicagoland region.