M A K I N G O U R C O M M U N I T I E S M O R E W A L K A B L EOld City Hall | 45 School Street | Boston MA 02108 | T: 617.367.9255 | F: 617.367.9285 | info@walkboston.org | www.walkboston.org

Benefits are cumulative as annual giving levels increaseWe are a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) — 22-3061699.

corporate benefits

M A K I N G O U R C O M M U N I T I E S M O R E W A L K A B L EOld City Hall | 45 School Street | Boston MA 02108 | T: 617.367.9255 | F: 617.367.9285 | info@walkboston.org | www.walkboston.org

$15,000 annual sponsor • back cover of program

• logo on annual publication • logo on event materials • logo displayed at event

$5000 racewalker • full page in program

• description on website • large logo in enews • custom guided walk

$2500 strider • half page in program

• logo on website • logo in enews • private lunch & learn • discount employee memberships

$1000 stroller • quarter page in program

• name on annual brochure • link on website • listing in enews • name displayed at events

$500 ambler • name in program

• name on website • name in newsletter • free walks/events • corporate member events

visibility

Thanks to our sponsors

Enews — reaches 3,260 inboxes bi-weekly Newsletter — reaches 2,600 quarterly

$5000/racewalker and up

$1000/stroller and up

$2500/strider and up

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Stunning Architecture. Superior Service. Unsurpassed Technology.

Livability to profitabilityIt’s fair to say that since they appeared in the 1950s,scattered site shopping malls have reigned over theAmerican retail landscape. But winds of change may topple the monarchy of the mall, as vibrant downtownretail emerges as an alternative model for prosperity.

In Lodi, California, strategies that made the city morewalkable simultaneously made it more prosperous. In1997 a 30% increase in downtown sales tax revenueresulted from a $4.5 million public-private investment in such streetscape improvements as wider sidewalks,street trees, lighting and benches. As revenues increased,so did the strength of the business environment: 60 newbusinesses opened and the downtown vacancy ratedropped from 18% to 6%.

In the late 1980s, Mountain View, California, revitalizedits downtown by building a pedestrian-friendly city halland performing arts center complex with an outdoorplaza, plus adding a flexible use zone [parking at sometimes, cafes at others] where sidewalk cafe tablesreplaced parked cars. Hundreds of millions in privateinvestment followed. Today the town is a regional draw.

Slowing traffic had a major impact in West Palm Beach,Florida, where planners narrowed streets, raised inter-sections, built curb bulb-outs and restored key buildings.In 1993 only 30% of the building space on ClematisStreet in West Palm Beach was occupied; by 1998 it wasmore than 80%. Commercial rents went from $6/sq. ft.to $30/sq. ft. in that time.

Boston

5.11

WALKBOSTON BOARDI

David BlackBetsy Boveroux/vice presidentAmy BrangerDan Breuer/treasurerJoyce DiBona/secretarySherry DongMark FavermannNina GarfinkleRichard Garver Kathryn HendersonAnn HershfangKarla Karash Matt Lawlor Peter LeeErik LundJerry PucilloBill ReyeltJessica Sawyer/presidentLinda Sharpe David StrausKaren Cord Taylor

CONTACTS/COMMITTEESI

executive directorWendy Landman

staffHillary Borcherding Joseph D. Cutrufo Dorothea HassRobert Sloane

internsJoanne Liu

advocacyWendy Landman

communicationsNina Garfinkle

fundraisingBetsy Boveroux

legislationMatt Lawlor

membershipKathryn Henderson

newsletter editorNina Cohen

nominations committeeKaren Cord Taylor

programs & eventsMark Favermann

walksRobert Sloane

M A K I N G O U R C O M M U N I T I E S M O R E W A L K A B L Ewalk[NEW] PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Thanks to so many of youfor coming to our annualwalk and meeting in March.The theme was “GoodWalking is Good Business”and we distributed ourbrochure on this topic

[being well-received statewide]. Thanks to the Barr Foundation, we will be taking “GoodWalking is Good Business” on the road soon.

We have a busy spring ahead of us with anumber of upcoming events for our membersin the works. Invitations will be included inupcoming e-blasts. As always, volunteers areneeded to help plan and execute our initiativesand I encourage you to contact the office tofind out about how you can get involved.

A little about me: By day I’m a VP at ColliersInternational — responsible for real estateconsulting assignments for corporations andinstitutions in Greater Boston. In addition, I’mon the advisory board of the Urban LandInstitute, the board of the domestic violenceadvocacy organization Casa Myrna Vazquez,and serve as chair of the Champions of theMassachusetts Society for Prevention ofCruelty to Children. I live in Norwood with myhusband Tom and am an avid walker!

Jessica Sawyer

BY COREY FREEDMAN

Walking boosts bottom lineAs healthcare costs skyrocketed over the last two decades,US companies discovered the value of workplace healthand wellness programs. Not only do companies save moneythrough decreased healthcare expenses, but they seereduced absenteeism and turnover, higher productivityand job satisfaction, and increased morale and loyalty.

But one area sometimes overlooked with regard to work-place wellness is walkability. That is changing.

In Atlanta, Hewlett Packard halted an expansion plannedin an area unfriendly to pedestrians, saying it did notwant to subject 1,000 new employees to its serious trafficproblems. Not surprisingly, a coalition of stakeholdersembarked on a plan to transform the area into a morewalkable, connected environment in order to attract newbusinesses.

“Our vision is to provide a high-quality environment forthose who want to live where they work and work wherethey live and meet the needs of young professionals andolder populations who either by choice or necessity limittheir travel distances between work and home,” said AnnHanlon of the local community improvement district.

In Detroit, the IT solutions company Compuware moved itsheadquarters to a walkable downtown area adjacent to arevitalized park. “They didn’t want just a building. Theywanted a lively district where their workers would havethings to do,” said Bob Edwards of the park conservancy.

And the website Open Office Space, which connectsentrepreneurs and small businesses seeking office spacewith lessors, now includes a Walk Score in all propertylistings, rating their walkability on proximity to amenities.“We believe this is pretty important information, as awalkable office location can save an entrepreneur, start-up, or small business time, money and even help theenvironment,” Open Office Space said.

What can your business do to improve pedestrianaccess? Start by by opening WalkScore.com for yourstreet address to get a general view of walkability in theneighborhood and the businesses that might be neededto attract walkers. Then conduct a Walkability Audit,available from the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention’s Healthier Worksite Initiative [www.cdc.org].The audit assesses pedestrian facilities, destinationsand surroundings and identifies specific improvementsto make routes more useful to pedestrians.

In one Orlando neighborhood, after using the WalkabilityAudit, roads were resurfaced, sidewalks repaired andtrees planted. A neglected street was turned into aninviting, walkable place.

And that is what a majority of Americans want. Accordingto a National Association of Realtors study, six in 10 wouldprefer to live in walkable neighborhoods. A 2010 study bythe Creative Class Group found that walkable metro areashad more highly educated and creative people, higherincomes and housing values, more high-tech companies,and greater levels of innovation.

Concluded author and University of Toronto business professor Richard Florida: “Walkability is more than anattractive amenity — it’s a magnet for attracting andretaining the highly innovative businesses and highlyskilled people that drive economic growth, raising hous-ing values and generating higher incomes.”

BY KEN KRAUSE

$5,000 and up

$500/ambler

$2500/strider and up

Brochure — distributed year long

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Boston Society of Architects, Boston Foundation, The Cecil Group, The Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Fund, Goody, Clancy & Associates, HNTB, Massachusetts General Hospital, NStar, Partners Healthcare, Planners Collaborative, Plymouth Rock Assurance, Tufts Medical Center, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Whole Foods, WilmerHale

$1000/stroller and up

$500 and up

www.walkboston.org — up to 900 visits weekly

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