Tools & Resources for Families

Families benefit from walkable communities! Making walking a part of your family’s lifestyle helps strengthen family connections and improves the mental and physical well-being of both adults and children. In today’s busy world of commuting, activities, and new technology, it does a family good to find ways to walk together. Talk as a family about fun destinations and the best time to walk. Remember to plan ahead to make the walk extra fun. For example, if you walk to the library, bring a cart or wagon to carry the books home in. You will also role model important healthy lifestyle choices to your children.

Walkable communities don’t happen by themselves.

Making and keeping communities walkable requires time and resources because sidewalks and crosswalks, schools, housing, and retail development have to be designed, built, and maintained to be walkable. Your family can ask local government, public agencies, schools, and private businesses to join you in doing their part to make our community more walkable.

Check out more tips and resources below. For ideas about how to use these resources, please visit the How To Use Campaign Tools page.

Book List

Children's Books

My Map Book by Sara Fanelli

My Neighborhood: Places and Faces by Lisa Bullard

My Town by Rebecca Treays

Where Do I live? by Neil Chesanow

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Web Links

Kids, Families, Safety, and Schools

City of Vancouver Commute Trip Reduction

City of Vancouver Transportation Services Safety Tips

Feet First

National Safety Council

Safe Routes to School - WA

Safe Routes to School Initiative

SafeKids

Washington Department of Transportation Crosswalk Law

Washington Department of Transportation Pedestrian Laws

Washington Department of Transportation Safety Tips

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Learn and Get Involved Locally

City of Vancouver Neighborhood Traffic Safety Alliance

City of Vancouver Office of Neighborhoods

City of Vancouver Sustainability Initiative

Clark County and City of Vancouver Parks and Trails

Clark County Neighborhood Outreach Program

Community Choices

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Local Walking Opportunities

Clark County Walkaround Guide

First Friday Art Walk

International Discovery Walk

International Discovery Walk (2008 PDF Brochure)

Kaiser Permanente

Southwest Washington Medical Center Passport to Wellness

Sunday Hiking Program

Vancouver Clark Parks and Trails

Vancouver's Downtown Walking Map

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Research, Advocacy, and Programs

America Walks

Coalition for a Livable Future

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Walkable Communities

Dan Burden and Walkable Communities, Inc.

Walkable Communities, Inc.

WalkScore

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