Albert Lea, Minnesota proves that small towns can reinvent themselves—often faster than big cities—and that walkable communities aren't only possible in urban neighborhoods.
Jay Walljasper profiles Albert Lea, Minnesota, "a town of 18,000 where people are working to prove that healthy lifestyles like walking and good nutrition are not just big-city things."
Albert Lea is not a college town or a resort town. According to Ellen Keher, a local resident and former city councilmember quoted in the article, "we’re an ag-based rural city promoting healthy living because it’s the right thing to do and it’s how we want to live and want our children to live…"
The article details the town's efforts, which date back to 2009 when it "adopted a community-wide approach to wellness laid out in 'Blues Zones,' a best-selling book by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner that examines places around the world where people live longest and healthiest."
The results of the efforts speak for themselves: walking has increased 70 percent in the last five years, smoking has dropped by 4 percent, and the community has lost a collective four tons of weight.
The article also details how the community achieved the outcomes, including organized walking groups, walkability improvements to downtown infrastructure, safe routes improvements near schools and senior centers, and a bikeway connecting a state park and the community's downtown.
FULL STORY: Albert Lea shows how walking and other healthy habits can rejuvenate a rural community
Ranking the Health and Fitness of Metro Areas (Infrastructure Matters)
Melanie Haiken shares insight into the findings of the American Fitness Index (AFI), which assesses the "Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas."
Density and Disorder: The Imaginary Link
A recent article tries to tie public transit and walkability to social disorder — but in fact, sprawling Sunbelt cities like Memphis are as likely to have high crime rates as transit-rich metropolises such as New York and San Francisco.
Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms
A package of proposed bills would change the state’s road funding formula to ensure more money flows to rural areas with limited resources.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research