Albert Lea is helping the nation realize that the solution to many long-term economic, social and health problems starts at the local level and is connected to each resident by their own two feet. In January, on the coldest day in years, dozens of educators, city staff, community leaders, senior citizens and journalists took part in a historic walk through the town to learn how to increase prosperity, health and longevity by making the town more walkable, bikeable and socially connected. Next week, the results of their research will be released.

The “walkability audit” is part of an extensive town makeover program sponsored by Blue Zones and AARP. Albert Lea was chosen for this program because it is the right size, is poised with a new, modern comprehensive plan, and employs city staff who are open to new ideas. Albert Lea has “good bones” — many fine-grained streets, good block forms, a functioning town center and waterfronts. It’s not without problems that will make walkability a challenge, though, and that’s why we wanted to be here.

Over the past 14 years, I have walked through and assisted more than 2,500 towns throughout the world, mostly in North America, get their feet back on the ground. Walkable places accommodate people, not just cars, with safe and alluring streetscapes that are human-scaled, provide good access to retail and commercial services, calm traffic and open public spaces. Towns built around the human foot are cheaper to build and maintain, produce the longest-lived and happiest people, and give the most ample returns on investment.

Richard Florida, the economist and author of Rise of the Creative Class and Flight of the Creative Class, points out that as North American cities leave behind agricultural and industrial economies, they are adopting new economic engines based on good city-making and place-making Main Street activities, wireless Internet in public places, family events, neighborhood schools, a town designed for aging in place, where it’s not even necessary to own a car, all increase an area’s livability and quality of life. Whether looking to locate to a big city or small town, employees and employers alike are increasingly considering lifestyle and place as much as they consider salary and other benefits.

Last year, I took a group of trekkers on a weeklong discovery tour in the Pacific Northwest. A resident we met in Port Moody, British Columbia, spoke with great enthusiasm about the town’s newest district: a compact, mixed-use center that eliminates the need to drive for groceries, medical appointments, entertainment or other services. The man described how he walks to the town center at least once a day, to have coffee in the morning, meet people, or enjoy a glass of wine in the evening. Everywhere we trekked, we learned that people want better access to social connections. Happiness follows close behind, we were told.

Some suburban strip and regional malls try to mimic successful urban places, but fail. A regional mall in northern Washington promoted as a town center had actually been built by a single developer on private property. Although outdoors, it felt to us like being in a private mall, not a village center. While exploring the mall, we were asked by a security guard to stop taking pictures. We noted a lack of diversity not only in the people visiting the mall, but also in the types of buildings and retail services. This “town center” lacked an organic feel and was not genuine.

Albert Lea is real, and by activating and following the new comprehensive plan, the town can come to be known as a great place to invest. Genuine urban areas, such as a polished (not reinvented) Albert Lea, provide the most social and economic benefit when they remain public and welcoming to all people. A variety of shops and services will support the needs of locals, as well as visitors.

Reports from Albert Lea Area Listens and the town’s updated comprehensive plan have caught my attention. Language in the front of the plan almost predicted how quickly economic change could come to our country and it embraced how a strong, compelling, united vision would lead the town toward the fastest possible recovery. As we now know, the meltdown came almost as fast as an advancing Alberta clipper. How quickly seeds can be planted and nurtured to get the nation afoot again is anybody’s guess. Meanwhile, our goal is to get Albert Lea positioned quickly to act on its instincts, bring the right people together, fine-tune the vision, and get life back in order quickly.

By adopting a moderate number of design changes, especially to downtown and waterfront environments, Albert Lea can reach the “tipping point,” attracting new jobs, smart growth and prosperity for the entire region.

After walking, listening and looking, our team has prepared a comprehensive list of ideas for Albert Lea. The “low-hanging fruit” are relatively low-cost, easy-to-implement ideas. Some bigger, bolder opportunities are identified for longer-term planning and partnership building. The report also provides model tools for Albert Lea to consider using when evaluating new development and tips for redevelopment.

Here are the top five ideas that Albert Lea couldimplement as part of the AARP/Blue Zones City Health Makeover.

1. Identify sidewalk gaps and prioritize their construction. Sidewalks are needed to support children walking to school, in and around all senior centers, and as approaches to all retail centers.

2. Identify locations for bike lanes and re-stripe these roadways. On most streets, motorists only require two 10-foot lanes, with an occasional third lane near key intersections.

3. Identify and complete “missing teeth” in the trails system. Some short sections of trails can be built by volunteers, with staff design and oversight.

4. Evaluate (audit) all crosswalks in town. Repaint and increase the visibility of crosswalks. Start this process in the downtown and near schools. Poorly marked crossings may be part of the problem identified by police that “yielding” behavior by motorists is poor.

5. Place a model median crossing, evaluate it, and then place many more. A median crossing is an island in the middle of the street to give people in the crosswalk a place to stand safely halfway across. A good first crossing location is near the senior towers en route to the new senior center.

This is Albert Lea’s chance to establish itself as a small city leading a national movement toward walkability and putting people first. Your input is not only welcome, but critical. To learn more, come hear the results and provide input on priority walking and biking projects Thursday March 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Senior Center, 1739 W. Main St. inside the Skyline Plaza.

Dan Burden is a principal and senior urban designer with Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, Inc. and founder and executive director of Walkable Communities. In 2001, Time Magazine named Dan as one of the six most important civic innovators in the world. He was given the first-ever lifetime achievement awards from the New Partners for Smart Growth and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.