Jeff Speck is the author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time and is one of America’s most acclaimed city planners.
On Thursday night, he will be lecturing at the Grand Theatre in downtown Frankfort as part of the Kentucky Heritage Council’s Kentucky Preservation Series.
Making communities more walkable is a key preservation concept since bringing people out of their vehicles and onto their feet allows opportunity to see and appreciate architecture. Those opportunities bring about awareness which is a first step to improving our cities and preserving their pasts. Speck will be talking about the importance of making our communities walkable as well as the economics of walkability. Speck believes that pedestrian-oriented cities can generate revenues and can reduced expenses while pedestrian-unfriendly places will falter in the coming decades.
After the lecture, Speck will be available for book signings. (If you can’t find it locally, order today (Tuesday) with Amazon Prime and it should arrive in time for you to take with you!)
The new quarterly Series will feature events of interest for the general audience that relate to preservation and related issues.
Larger cities like Lexington and Louisville already exhibit some qualities of walkability, though much more is needed. Smaller towns like Nicholasville have even more to learn and that is why the Main street coordinators from around the state are attending this important event.
Elected officials and community leaders would be wise to attend this important event Thuraday evening. A follow-up workshop will provide even greater learning opportunities on a Friday morning.
I’m attending the Jeff Speck lecture Thursday evening, 7 p.m. at the Grand Theatre on St. Claire Street in downtown Frankfort, and hope to see you there! (Tickets are $10 each.)
More details are available at heritage.ky.gov. Jeff Speck’s website is available here.