Over 40 people from around the state involved in the fields of transportation planning, public health, economic development, community planning, and trails and open space came together to help build connections across these sectors with the purpose of increasing coordination of walkability and community mobility efforts. Representatives from various state agencies, Councils of Governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, non-profits, and consultants were in attendance.
National public health, planning, and transportation experts, Mark Fenton and his team presented how best to design walkable communities for people of all ages and abilities and how community design can influence health, safety, and local development. An Olympic race-walker, MIT-trained engineer, former host of PBS’ America’s Walking, and author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness, Mark has led training and planning processes for pedestrian-, bicycle-, and transit-friendly designs in communities across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Mark Fenton explains to participants how to engage the community in walkability solutions.
Kicking off the workshop, participants were asked to recall their earliest, positive recollection of being physically active. Their answers emphasized the change in play over the years with more youth moving away from being “free-range kids” who enjoyed outdoor play and exploration without adult supervision, walked or biked to school or interacted with friends, and played games with no formal uniforms or referees. This shift has influenced concerning trends in childhood obesity. Less than 5% of all children in the 1960s were considered overweight or obese, while today 23% of South Carolina’s children ages 6-17 fall into that category (Source: Trust for America’s Health).
However, improving walkability in communities is not just about physical activity. It affects citizens’ health and quality of life, the environment, social justice priorities, and community economic advancement. Can the design of our communities actually influence population health and community outcomes? Mark and his team highlighted that policy change leads to more active transportation infrastructure, which directly impacts a community’s health improvements.
Physical activity support occurs on three scales:
Providing a variety of destinations within close proximity;
Linking a network of pedestrian, bike, and transit facilities; and
Ensuring active transportation options are safe, functional, and accessible for all.
Equipped with this information, participants broke out into small groups by industry sector to discuss their roles in advancing active transportation, specifically what they should accomplish in the short-term and what is needed in order for them to be successful. One catch: the answer couldn’t be “more money!”
Workshop participants on a walk audit in downtown Columbia.
A highlight of the day was a 1.5-mile walk audit around downtown Columbia. Mark encouraged participants to take this exercise back to their own communities as an effective and inclusive community engagement tool that can reach all ages, races, income levels, and abilities. Walk audits integrate going to everyday community destinations where people live and work while paying particular attention to land use, the network of facilities, site design, and safety.
The workshop concluded with a call to action and commitment. Over 90% of participants affirmed they are very or extremely willing to contribute to a statewide collaborative to advance equitable active transportation by providing or sharing information and helping to make connections. A central theme was the need for more detailed and sharing of data as the workshop reinforced that the key to success in this work is more interdisciplinary participation. The group left energized and ready to be a part of this important priority in our state.
Stay tuned for more as Wholespire continues to play an integral role in inspiring wellness in all communities!
The notion of creating more walkable communities may seem like a daunting task, particularly for rural towns that struggle to find the time and resources to devote to such projects. However, WAI helped remind its participants that small efforts can lead to bigger changes. Community walkability projects, even on a minor scale, can impact not only citizens’ health and safety but local economic opportunities as well.
But where do you even begin? To start with, community engagement is critical. Assessing community readiness and educating citizens before any changes are made are important first steps.
“Community buy-in is important. Without their understanding, all of this is for naught. We’re using varying approaches to educate since people care about different things – beautification, pedestrian and public safety, jobs and small business, less traffic, increased real estate values, and social connection,” said Dara Brown, Chair of the Active & Accessible Community Transit Coalition and a member of the Cayce-West Columbia WAI team.
While there is a long-term goal of creating an inclusive, inter-municipal walk + bike loop in the Cayce – West Columbia arts district to promote tourism and connect lower-income areas to everyday destinations, conducting pop-up demonstrations and walk audits for this project helped identify solutions for immediate needs. Bike racks for both cities were installed, and a four-way stop sign was added in an underserved community to slow vehicular traffic. Other neighborhoods noticed and began asking for stop signs near parks and where school buses pick up children.
The more prepared and involved the community is, the easier it becomes to approach local councils and government officials with needed projects. “Training is about conversations. Engaging community leaders and informing them on how walkability can improve other issues such as safety and crime is critical,” said Dara.
The idea that place affects health – how a community’s built environment contributes to eating healthy and being physically active in a safe manner – was another resounding theme at WAI. With cars as the primary mode of transportation, sidewalks are not as commonplace in rural communities since fewer people and destinations tend to be more spread apart. The sidewalks that do exist are less likely to receive maintenance.
Broken sidewalks like this one in Lane, South Carolina, make mobility unsafe for people with disabilities, older adults and others.
The Town of Lane is part of Williamsburg County, another local team of public health, planning, and transportation representatives that participated in WAI. Delores Cantey, a resident of Lane, has an adult paraplegic son and has fought for safer road infrastructure for decades. With no real sidewalk network, she says his only option to get around town in his wheelchair includes the side of a highway.
“He’s entitled to have a good quality of life outside of his home. I think Council and local government are starting to see how everyone wants sidewalks as a safe option for travel,” she said.
Since WAI, the Town of Lane identified a need for traffic-reducing devices in areas of high use by people with disabilities, seniors, and youth. A radar speed sign and flasher kits were installed to warn drivers that they are entering a pedestrian crossing and to reduce speed.
“WAI was the catalyst for helping develop a connection to why we should consider these types of walkability projects. It served as an eye-opener of what could be done in a small town and rural community. It’s a real issue, and now we can do something about it,” said Regina Smith-Dimery, Community Engagement Manager for the South Carolina Department of Public Health and a member of the Williamsburg County WAI team.
So, what are some practical steps to implement walkability projects in your area?
Create an advisory committee made up of a diverse group of citizens to help increase public awareness and education about walkability and to identify projects that address specific community needs. Invite local leadership to participate.
Conduct assessments, which are free or low-cost, to help determine how pedestrian and bike-friendly a community is as well as what citizens view as priorities. These can include walk audits, “windshield tours,” and surveys. Try to plan these activities alongside existing community events where there will already be a crowd.
Put together a list of potential projects and then prioritize them based on importance, how capable the community is to implement and timely complete the project, and the feasibility of having the funding.
Phasing larger projects helps make tasks more manageable. Rather than a 10-mile sidewalk, prioritize key intersections to start with.
Continue momentum in the community by holding pop-ups and town hall meetings and creating appealing message development. Maintain intentional communication of what the goals are and how partners can fit in to increase participation.
Walkability and active transportation planning is a public health focus area that has the potential to have a positive community and statewide impact on our health, environment, and economy. Active community environments, where people of all ages and abilities have opportunities to be physically active for both recreation and transportation, must be thoughtfully designed with a holistic approach. The Walkability Action Institute proved even small steps towards this overarching goal can make a notable difference.
Wholespire remains committed to providing technical assistance and training to promote walkable, active and connected communities.
Rural municipalities are relying on increased community engagement to enhance amenities and opportunities for families to explore local businesses, as well as provide inclusive play opportunities for children of all abilities. Focusing on these types of improvements means looking at the built environment, which influences healthy eating and physical activity.
The built environment includes the man-made spaces where we live. When community leaders value the surroundings and what they offer to attract residents and visitors, there is an opportunity to create more liveable, thriving spaces for recreation and transportation purposes. In Ridge Spring, SC, community leaders are investing in changes to the environment to increase walking, bicycling, outdoor playing and the local economy.
With assistance from the Upper Savannah Council on Governments, the Town of Ridge Spring applied for a Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Mini-Grant to purchase and install bike racks and inclusive playground equipment. The small, rural Saluda County town wanted to encourage residents to become more active. They proposed installing bicycle racks at the farmers market and interactive sensory equipment at the community playground.
New and updated riders
According to their application, several public hearings related to streetscape (view of a street) projects and potential improvements related to walkability (a measure of how friendly an area is to walking) were held and residents responded. They were interested in being able to walk and bike to places more safely. There was also a desire to update the community playground. Like many rural community parks, the equipment was outdated, unsafe and unappealing.
With HEAL Mini-Grant funds, Ridge Spring installed a bike rack at the farmers market, providing opportunities for cyclists to secure their bicycles and feel comfortable while they browse and shop. At the playground, new sensory-related equipment was installed, which helps make the space more inclusive of children’s needs. Observations indicate increased usage of the playground and children are playing longer.
Through the mini-grant, the town found a new partnership with Kids in Parks, a non-profit organization focused on getting families and children to spend more time outside. The new partnership could lead to additional funding opportunities to assist with future projects. Leaders also have their eye on improving another community playground and placing more bike racks in other areas of the town.
Representatives from five communities at the Walkability Action Institute.
South Carolina’s picturesque landscapes, historic charm, and vibrant communities have long attracted residents and visitors alike. However, beneath the surface of this Southern gem lies a set of walkability challenges that impact both rural and urban areas.
Five cross-disciplinary teams representing rural communities in South Carolina were recruited to address walkability and movability with the help of national and state experts. The two-day National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Walkability Action Institute course focused on community and transportation design. Teams entered the training with the commitment to create action plans, participate in multiple virtual follow-up classes and implement action plans without any dedicated national or state funding for the time being.
“With NACDD guidance, the teams were intentionally made up of public health, planning, transportation, elected officials and other community members to help them understand that it takes more than just one department to successfully implement changes,” said Meg Stanley, executive director at Wholespire. “Cross-disciplinary teams also gain a greater understanding of how to leverage their resources to create a more liveable, sustainable and inclusive environment.”
Participants representing Anderson, Fairfield, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties and the cities of West Columbia and Cayce got hands-on training after their lectures and small group discussions. They performed a walkability assessment in downtown Spartanburg and found out that even the best laid out plans may not be the best. During the assessment, they discovered that when crossing roads, a vision-impaired individual is led into traffic and not toward the crosswalk because the crosswalk ramps with bumps or ridges are not always placed in the correct direction. Another learning point that was observed is that the sidewalks are wide enough for a person in a wheelchair and another individual to move comfortably side-by-side.
Participants conduct an assessment of downtown Spartanburg.
“As people who use cars for transportation, many of us take for granted the ease of access to parks, school, the office, the grocery store and many other places we visit. When we are planning projects, we must stop and think about those of us who may only depend on wheelchairs, bicycles, walking or other modes of transportation. An even smarter thing to do is have a conversation with those people and ask about barriers to getting from point A to point B,” said Stanley.
Walkability refers to the measure of how friendly an area or neighborhood is for walking. It takes into account various factors that influence the ease and safety of walking as a mode of transportation and a way to access amenities, services, and recreational areas. Walkable communities are designed to promote pedestrian activity, reduce dependence on cars, and enhance overall quality of life.
The South Carolina State Team First Row (l-r): Landon Campbell (SCDHEC), Lori Phillips (SCDHEC), Kelsey Sanders (Wholespire) Second Row (l-r): Torri Toland (SCDHEC), Meg Stanley (Wholespire), Kaylin Garst (YMCA), Sara Griffin (Clemson University) Third Row (l-r): Guillermo Espinosa (SCDOT), Ken Harvin (SCACED), Amy Ely Johnson (Palmetto Cycling Coalition), Paola Gutierrez (SCORH)
The five community teams meet virtually on a recurring basis to learn from national experts about topics related to movability and to seek guidance from the state team and each other on action planning, potential new team member recruitment, and project implementation. All five teams have developed action plans as described below.
The Georgetown County team wants to improve safe access to all schools in the Town of Andrews and add a bike lane shoulder along Plantersville Scenic Highway. They’re working to establish a partnership with Safe Routes to School, collect traffic and pedestrian data, install crosswalks and improve lighting and sidewalks around schools, and create a temporary shoulder until SCDOT can construct a permanent one.
The Anderson County team plans on implementing a trail connecting the Town of Williamston to the Town of Pelzer. Another goal is to work on a joint cycling and pedestrian trail initiative between the county and City of Anderson. They will also participate in local meetings to include walkability, cycling and pedestrian characteristics in the transportation section of the Anderson County 2026 Comprehensive Plan.
The Fairfield County team is working in the Town of Winnsboro to update town ordinances related to downtown revitalization and walkability. Specifically, they want zoning ordinances for outdoor dining to be amended to create vibrant public spaces and squares that encourage social interaction and community engagement. They also want to improve the safety and walkability in the Mount Zion community by converting large shoulders to walking paths/bike lanes, creating a walking path cut-through from Zion Hill to Fortune Springs Park, and installing a covered bus stop.
In West Columbia and Cayce, the team wants to create a safe and inclusive walk/bike Arts District Loop that connects West Columbia and Cayce using Savage Craft and Steel Hands Breweries as anchors to increase active tourism and improve connectivity for lower-income and historically Black areas to access everyday destinations and opportunities.
The Williamsburg County team is focusing its action plan on the Town of Lane. They want to create an advisory committee to increase public awareness of walkability and mobility and educate the community and stakeholders on the importance of accessibility for all residents. They also want to assess the current need for accessible walking and bike trails for all residents and work with the appropriate partners to establish walkable and accessible pedestrian routes.
Incorporating these strategies into community and transportation design can enhance the quality of life for all residents, promote healthier and more sustainable lifestyles, help the local economy, and create vibrant, inclusive communities. Through a partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Wholespire was honored to assist and participate in presenting the NACDD Walkability Action Institute.
New and Emerging Research on HEAL will give you the opportunity to hear from an expert in South Carolina on some of the research that he is a part of through the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. Some of the topics that will be covered today are Obesity and environmental justice, the development of a Childhood Obesogenic Environment Index and its application across South Carolina counties, as well as Pedestrian and Cyclist Crashes across SC. We hope that hearing about this research will help grow your understanding about environments that support healthy behaviors and how we might address them in our state.
Dr. Andy Kaczynski is a Co-Investigator with the USC Prevention Research Center and Director of the Built Environment and Community Health (BEACH) Laboratory. In the BEACH Lab, he and his students study how the communities in which we live, work, learn, pray, and play affect the health and well-being of residents of all ages. In addition, Dr. Kaczynski’s research adopts an environmental justice approach to examine whether different population segments or geographic areas have equal access to positive resources (e.g., parks) or protection from negative amenities (e.g., fast food restaurants). Overall, research in the BEACH Lab aims to develop tools, systems, and environmental and policy interventions that engage community members and other diverse stakeholders in building neighborhoods and communities that promote physical activity, healthy eating, and obesity and chronic disease prevention.
