The Walkable, Healthy Rural Community: A Case Study

Albert Lea, Minnesota proves that small towns can reinvent themselves—often faster than big cities—and that walkable communities aren't only possible in urban neighborhoods.

1 minute read

June 13, 2015, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Small Town Pedestrian

U.S. Department of Agriculture / Flickr

Jay Walljasper profiles Albert Lea, Minnesota, "a town of 18,000 where people are working to prove that healthy lifestyles like walking and good nutrition are not just big-city things."

Albert Lea is not a college town or a resort town. According to Ellen Keher, a local resident and former city councilmember quoted in the article, "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…"

The article details the town's efforts, which date back to 2009 when it "adopted a community-wide approach to wellness laid out in 'Blues Zones,' a best-selling book by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner that examines places around the world where people live longest and healthiest."

The results of the efforts speak for themselves: walking has increased 70 percent in the last five years, smoking has dropped by 4 percent, and the community has lost a collective four tons of weight.

The article also details how the community achieved the outcomes, including organized walking groups, walkability improvements to downtown infrastructure, safe routes improvements near schools and senior centers, and a bikeway connecting a state park and the community's downtown.

Friday, May 22, 2015 in MinnPost

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

May 16 - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

May 16 - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

May 16 - Mass Transit