going.” The “Way to
Go” program eagerly embraced and cosponsored the
walkabouts, including them in the campaign’s
marketing materials and other public relations efforts.
WHAT MAKES ARLINGTON WALKABLE?
Arlington is, geographically, the
nation’s second smallest county, packed into just
26 square miles of rolling terrain just across the
Potomac River from Washington, DC. The county has
consciously planned for walkability since before the
term was coined, opting in the 1960s for a transit
oriented scheme of development that downplays the
automobile and encourages alternate means of
transportation, including by foot. Arlington’s
most densely developed sectors that provide homes to
nearly 27 percent of its residents and the majority of
its businesses, are confined to 11 percent of its total
area. They roughly follow the footprints of two subway
corridors, Metrorail’s Orange Line and Yellow
Line, that traverse the county.
Research is beginning to show that
where you live matters when it comes to walking. A
report from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine
found that, “obesity relationships with community
design, physical activity, and time spent in
cars” shows a strong link between time spent
driving and obesity: every additional 30 minutes spent
in a car each day translates into a three percent
greater chance of being obese. The same study also
found that people who live in neighborhoods with a mix
of shops and businesses within walking distance are
seven percent less likely to be obese.
Another national study found that people
who live in the most sprawling communities walked less
and were more likely to be overweight, obese and to
have high blood pressure.
Arlington is an award winning
smart growth community. We have made significant
investments in our network of sidewalks, bicycle
trails, and pedestrian safety improvements throughout
Arlington. We were recently recognized as the
“safest place for pedestrians” in Northern
Virginia.
