This project doesn’t just improve health outcomes through increasing  mobility, it is a shot of adrenaline for community empowerment, and it provides a deep level of enrichment for the youth who may not otherwise engage with architects, urban planners, community activists, and other community stakeholders. Come Walk With Us WYCO…Cleaning up the streets; one neighborhood at a time!

2 years ago, several community organizations hosted listening sessions with residents to identify the top priorities in the northeast area of Kansas City, KS. During these sessions, we learned that our residents were grappling with issues centered in the built environment.

The conditions of streets, sidewalks, curbs and lighting were inhibiting our community’s ability to access and enjoy recreational spaces, safe routes to schools and parks, and limiting social interactions between neighbors. These conditions were reducing our residents’ abilities to fully engage in the community and contributing to poor health outcomes. 

Following these listening sessions, we invited the residents to participate in a community walk audit and prioritization process. These community-based organizations, have leveraged community feedback, a variety of resources, and technical assistance to create a solution that would mitigate the challenge of unsafe streets and sidewalks.

A “neighborhood walk audit” process was designed to allow residents and students to participate in the data collection and prioritization process. As of today, 5 neighborhood audits have been successfully completed. Priority infrastructure improvement recommendations have already helped to inform new sidewalk installation routes where students actually walk to school!

We currently have 3 more neighborhoods ready to execute their neighborhood walk audits…3 of the largest, most densely populated neighborhoods in the historic northeast portion of Wyandotte County. While the majority of the work is achieved through volunteer efforts, there is a portion of the project that does require monetary support.

We need your help, please consider supporting this health-centered, community-building initiative. Increasing walking within our communities can be a strategy for achieving equity by reducing unequal burdens of disease (low-income communities tend to have higher rates of chronic disease); and reducing transportation costs.