Algiers Village Living Communities Challenge Vision Plan

8. HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
LCC CRITERIA:
The Community must incorporate design features and strategies to promote and optimize the health
and well-being of its residents. The Community must provide:
• Access for residents and occupants to either dedicated walking trails, sidewalks or pedestrian
paths directly accessible from every building.
• Passive recreation in the form of parks, plazas, squares and bike trails no further than ½ mile
from any point in the Community.
• Active recreation such as pools, tennis or ball courts, fitness centers, soccer/football/rugby fields
or skateboard parks within ½ mile from any point in the Community, scaled appropriately to the
density and population of the development.
• A health and wellness education plan applicable to every resident that is kept current on a
Community website.
ANALYSIS
Algiers Village currently has a pedestrian walkway that loops
from the Route 5 intersection, down Guilford Center Road,
left onto Grist Mill Road, back to Route 5. There is also a
mowed path from Guilford Country Store around to Guilford
Community Church. Algiers Village intends to use these walking
paths as the backbone of an expanded network of pathways in
the proposed Vision Plan. Ultimately, there will be a dedicated
walking trail or sidewalk directly accessible from every building
in Algiers Village.
Recreational activities will also be accessible. Proposed
development includes a bioswell park by Broad Brook,
a pedestrian walkway and pocket park on the Guilford
Community Church right-of-way, and a wetland interpretive
trails in the Northern fields to the east of Route 5 (accessed by
a new parking turn-out off of Route 5). These will ensure that
there are passive recreation opportunities no further than ½
mile from any point in the community.
Active recreation opportunities will be served by the walking
paths, community garden plots by the Guilford Farmers
Market, and a playground beside the community pavilion.
These will can also be accessed within 1⁄2 mile from any point
in the Community.
There is interest within the nonprofits in development of a
community health and wellness education plan effort. One of
the nonprofits would need to spearhead this plan, which could
be an online tool for Town of Guilford.
MEETING THE IMPERATIVE
The analysis shows that this imperative can be mostly met
via existing and proposed services. A community health and
wellness education plan will need to be developed.