Little Town on the Prairie Steps It Up: Examples of Walkable Communities

Reader Contribution by Jay Walljasper
1 / 2
2 / 2

It’s like a small-town scene from Norman Rockwell, updated for the 21st Century.

A Latino family strolls leisurely through the park, immersed in conversation. Coming up fast behind is a blonde woman in designer exercise gear and earplugs, intent on maintaining her power-walking pace. Bringing up the rear is a young man with his Husky, both of them staring up at a patch of sun that has appeared from behind the clouds.

In real life, this is Albert Lea, Minnesota, a town of 18,000 working to prove that healthy lifestyles like walking and good nutrition are not just big city things. “We’re not a resort town or a college town, we’re an ag-based rural city promoting healthy living because it’s the right thing to do and it’s how we want to live and want our children to live,” explains Ellen Kehr, a former city council member who is a leader in the effort to make Albert Lea healthier.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368