Over the past few months, Livable Streets Education has worked with schools across New York City on We're Walking Here NYC. Educators were asked to engage students in an exercise that highlights the importance of safety, healthy choices, walkable streets and sustainable transportation, and to share that message with others. This was the pilot run of our web-based project and we had a great group of participants. Next fall we plan to continue the initiative and invite any and all NYC schools to join in. 

Our grand prize winner was P.S. 8 in Brooklyn for their video PSA, "Why Should You Walk to School?" It was created by Class 3-305 with teacher Melissa Browning.

We had a tough decision as many schools did a great job. Our other winners are listed after the jump.

Image courtesy of Howard Frumkin [PDF].

Livable Streets Education was among the presenters, and we learned quite a bit ourselves about the safe routes to school movement. We wanted to share with Streetsblog readers some insights that we picked up from two of the headliners at the conference.

Graphic: Richard Jackson [PDF]

It can all seem overwhelming. But as Jackson pointed out, there are plenty of ways to make these problems feel more manageable. As he said, it really comes down to asking yourself: "Can I walk to buy milk?"

Another keynoter, Howard Frumkin, director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, elaborated on the same theme. Rather than generate fear, despair, anxiety, he said, we need to communicate the changes we must make with accuracy and balance. We don't want people to mentally check out or give up when they hear the facts -- we need constructive engagement.

That's where "Safe Routes to School" comes in: It's a solution that's easy to grasp and feels like something we are capable of achieving. We can demand sidewalks, we can set up “walking school buses” to get kids to school. These are doable steps with benefits ranging from improved cardiovascular health to reduced carbon emissions. And it will help raise a new generation to appreciate the experience of walking, biking, and meeting your neighbors.

You can learn more about how to support the Safe Routes to School movement by checking out the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes National Partnership. You might also want to consider asking your senator to support Senate Bill 1156, the Safe Routes to School Reauthorization Bill.

If you know of New York City teachers who want to get their classes directly involved in these issues, check out Livable Streets Education’s fall project, We’re Walking Here NYC. New York is a city of walkers, a fact that students can celebrate on Walk to School Day, coming up on October 7. Look for a post with further details next week.

This May and June, Livable Streets Education led a six-week project with seventh graders from the Mott Hall II school, a public school located on 109th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. We asked them to imagine a public realm that was greener, safer, and better for their community. Working in groups, they helped create photo simulations of their ideas, then wrote letters to local officials with their recommendations.

Here’s a look at their work and how they made it:

When we introduced the students to progressive concepts in street design, they immediately had strong opinions about how to improve their streets. While many adults appear to perceive public spaces as inflexible and static, young people are less encumbered. They tend to see the full range of possibilities for the use of their streets.

This past weekend, Livable Streets Education teamed up with educators at the New York Transit Museum to teach families about the past, present, and future of New York City’s streets. With help from their parents, kids designed their own "livable streets" to improve conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. 

The kids also made some pretty fantastic buses out of recycled materials, complete with riders, drivers, wheels, windows, and decorations that would look stunning on the genuine article. We even saw a few double-deckers and articulated buses.

If you missed out this weekend, there are more chances to join in coming up in the summer. Look for us leading similar workshops at the arts room of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on Sunday, July 19.

After the jump: an articulated, double-decker butterfly bus.

Clocking car speeds at 92nd Street and Columbus. Photo: Lauren Brooks.

If you caught our Streetfilm last week, then you know about Livable Streets Education and our curriculum on urban livability, green transportation, and safer streets. We get a lot of questions about how our lessons work in the classroom, so I wanted to share a little bit about what we did this semester with the eighth grade at Dual Language Middle School (MS 247) on the Upper West Side.

Together with science teacher Lauren Brooks, we put together an eight-session learning unit centered on the question, “What is the impact of cars on the environment?” Students measured carbon dioxide levels and car speeds around the school, then compared the carbon footprint of commutes by driving, transit, and walking, using Transportation Alternatives' handy online tool, Rolling Carbon. We researched traffic calming measures and how to protect pedestrians, especially around school zones.

Based on their findings, the students brainstormed improvements to street design and the transit system. Some suggested equipping every avenue with exclusive bus lanes. Others came up with ways to reduce the number of cars on the road. Many students were aware of the MTA's current crisis, and funding public transportation with higher taxes on gasoline or SUVs was a popular idea.

What I found so moving about working with these students was how they grew to understand New York as a "green" city. At first, many of them thought we were the top polluter per capita nationwide, due to the conception of New York as a huge metropolis. They were surprised and pleased to learn that, in fact, their hometown is a leader in sustainability and the number one city in the country for transit ridership. By simply taking the subway, walking, or riding their bikes, they are urban environmentalists.

For project ideas, or to bring LSE to your school, please contact Livable Streets Education Director Kim Wiley-Schwartz at kwileyschwartz@streetseducation.org, or 212-796-4211.

If you want to get involved in what we do, we'd love your help! You'll notice that we've got an open invitation to volunteers on the sidebar. To help us out, email volunteer@livablestreets.com, and we'll keep you posted about opportunities as they become available.

Students at PS 87 record car speeds.

Last September, The Open Planning Project officially launched Livable Streets Education (LSE), to inspire students, teachers, and families to make the changes they want to see on their streets and in their neighborhoods. LSE's learning units explore a range of topics, including the urban environment, traffic calming, biking and walking, public transit, and safe routes to schools. Our pilot program is already up and running in four schools. The response has been very positive -- young people are incredibly interested in improving the environment and their city. This spring we'll be expanding to ten New York City schools, working with over 500 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

LSE director Kim Wiley-Schwartz shows a pupil how to track car speeds.

If you’re interested in bringing Livable Streets Education to your child’s school (or the school in which you work), we’re currently available for fall 2009 residencies. The program is entirely funded at no cost to schools. We also partner with cultural institutions for special educational programming. Look for us at the New York Transit Museum, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and Celebrate Brooklyn.

To stay connected with educators and parents interested in Livable Streets Education, join our group on the Livable Streets Community site.

If you live outside New York City, not to worry. We’re currently working with teachers to develop lesson plans that can be taught in classrooms across the country. Keep an eye on our website for the first three learning units, coming soon.