From the Marblehead Reporter
Let's Go for a Walk
Marblehead has a reputation of being a town with character. A great place to go for a walk. Many cite its picturesque harbor, rugged coastline, historic downtown (and don’t forget its people) as contributing elements. It is the unique combination of such things that makes walking through town such a pleasure. We enjoy taking it all in, and ultimately we become a part of the landscape in which we walk. At the end of the day, going for a walk makes us feel good, and we feel more connected to places where we walk.
The best way to experience a community is on foot. In addition to the health benefits, taking it all in at a slower pace makes the details come alive. At this pace, we notice not only the buds on the trees, but their texture too. We see people’s expressions as they are having conversations on street corners. We feel the warmth from the sun or cooling effects of a sea breeze. Walking through a neighborhood makes us slow down and pay attention to all the special things that define its character.
Why do we love to walk some places in town, and tend to avoid others? What makes us avoid walking certain places and what happens to these places as we continue to avoid them? These are some of the questions being explored by the Marblehead 20|20 Foundation, a volunteer organization working at maintaining and enhancing quality-of-life issues throughout town.
One of the primary areas studied by this group is the Uptown Business District (starting on Atlantic Avenue at Seaside Park, through the Five Corners area, and back up Pleasant Street to the old high school.) Most would agree that this district is more often experienced by car than on foot. To verify this, one needs only to compare the number of vehicles on the road to the number of pedestrians on the sidewalk during a typical day. As we whip through Atlantic Avenue at 30-plus mph, we may not notice much beyond the other cars and maybe an occasional person waiting to cross the street - often to get to their own car. You may also notice many business signs designed to scream out for attention to potential customers quickly zipping by. At this speed, through this whirlwind of rubber and motors, there is no time to take in finer details. We miss both the beauty - and the problems.
One of the core values of Marblehead 20|20 is promoting the "walkablilty" of town. Getting out for a walk is good for everyone - it is healthy for people, businesses and a sense of community. Marblehead 20|20 seeks to encourage this activity by identifying those elements that make for a pleasant walk (and those that don't), ultimately with the goal of making our public spaces more walkable.
Back to the Uptown Business District... Let's slow down for a minute and take a walk here. Just a walk - no specific errands, no missions. At the slow pace of a walk, we will notice the details we don't see as we typically drive through this district. We will begin to make a connection. Is it "fine just the way it is," as many would automatically say? Take a walk and decide for yourself.
The position of Marblehead 20|20 is if we don't make this area a more inviting place to walk (improve the condition of the sidewalks, provide some shade, make things more handicapped accessible - just to name a few), in other words, if we leave things just as they are, the underlying message is: don't walk here.
Is that so bad? After all, there are already plenty of beautiful and engaging areas to walk in town. That may be true, but let's first think about what it could be if it were more pedestrian friendly. If there were some places to sit along the way, some trees to quiet the noise, safer crosswalks, better, softer lighting. Let's think first about the benefits to local businesses with the increased foot traffic, the benefits to adjacent neighborhoods as things slow down to a walk. The benefits to every resident as the character of the town and community is nurtured and appreciated. Do we abandon a part of our town because other parts happen to be beautiful?
So let's go for a walk - along the avenue, through Five Corners, up Pleasant Street. And while we are here, let's improve handicapped accessibility so everyone can join us. Let's plant some trees so we can enjoy the cool shade and breathe the cleaner air. Let's fix dangerous cracked sidewalks, repair damaged signs and add a few trash cans. How about curb cuts at the crosswalks so parents don't have to lift strollers, so those in wheelchairs can move freely about. Let's add a bench here and there for a spot to stop and take it all in, to watch the others who have made a connection and become part of the landscape. Let's start walking here and see what we have.
James Emmanuel
Landscape Architect
Marblehead 20|20 Foundation
