Page 6 - WILMAPCO - Winter 2023

Charlestown Residents Become Planners in
Walkable Community Workshop
Charlestown residents came together at the Charlestown Fire Company in October to take
a walk around town and uncover ways to make the community more walkable.
This group was participating in a Walkable Community Workshop (WCW), an interactive event that brings together residents, elected officials, and planners to focus attention on how to make walking
around the community safer, more accessible, and more comfortable. WCWs begin with a presentation, reviewing topics such as sidewalk design, crosswalks, traffic calming, and other tools communities need to create safer walking environments. The presentation helps spark ideas during the walking portion, which gives participants a chance to survey the area and identify challenges and opportunities to improve walking and biking. After
the walk, the group shares ideas for improving walkability in a mapping exercise. Through these workshops, community members become the planners, as they are experts in their own community.
The Charlestown walking audit began by taking a look at the Streets, the cultural center of town. Then, the group took a loop on Market Street, Cecil Street,
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