Taking A Walk In Boise

"'There's nothing more basic and nothing more green than cruising through your neighborhood at three miles an hour on your feet,' City Historian Todd Shallat said. 'It's not only good for your lungs — it's good for your community.'"

"With this concept in mind, Shallat has written a guidebook for City Hall called 'Ethnic Landmarks,' the first in a series aimed at showing people around the city at a walk."

"When Boise was a young city, he notes, almost nobody drove."

"'Walking shaped the way people interacted, and it created a city of ethnic enclaves that have been depleted today,' Shallat said."

"Through encouraging Boise residents to take a closer look at their neighborhoods, city leaders hope to educate them as Boise planners manage the city's enormous population growth. They're looking for ways to integrate automobiles and pedestrians into the landscape and to create neighborhoods where residents are diverse in age, income and background."