Mackinaw City was one of several northern Michigan communities to be studied last week by Dan Burden of Walkable Communities, Inc. A nationally recognized authority on bicycle and pedestrian facilities and design, Mr. Burden offered presentations at each town. He reviewed Calumet, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Gladstone, Escanaba, Iron River, and Mackinaw City. The audit, funded through the Michigan Department of Transportation, may help Mackinaw City receive grants for streetscape projects, said Mackinaw City Village Manager Jeff Lawson.

The goal of Mr. Burden's assessment was to give city planners, legislators, and residents ideas about how to make the village more attractive to pedestrians and bicycle riders. The presence of people walking and biking greatly increases a community's vibrancy, Mr. Burden said.

Saturday, September 13, he joined members of the village council, planning commission, and other leaders for a stroll around town. In the evening, he told residents at the school about how streets, sidewalks, and parks have made other them more attractive for residential and visitor use. He stressed the importance of designing for foot travelers and bicycle riders, rather than emphasizing designs to serve cars. Such improvements raise property values and visitor interest, he said, and these areas also generate much more income for municipalities than other areas, he said.

He focused on creating tree canopies over streets, which create enclosures that are inviting and encourage foot travel, and he stressed the importance of limiting commercial development along waterfront areas.

"Don't allow waterfront to be privatized," he said. "People need to enjoy water. They need to connect to water."

Mr. Burden said Mackinaw City is proceeding reasonably well in terms of its development.

He encouraged the village to create roundabouts at each end of Central Avenue's east-side business district, which would limit entry into the area to one car at a time, create attractive landscaping opportunities, slow traffic, and make the area more inviting.

Roundabouts are circular, often landscaped, intersections, common in Europe and increasingly used in communities in lower Michigan.

Mr. Burden termed them "gateways."

He encouraged the village to create bicycle lanes that are made of materials colored differently than sidewalks and streets. He said this could be done as part of the upcoming streetscape project on North Huron Avenue.

Along the street, he suggested creating inviting canopies. In response to questions from the public, he said trees could be clustered to maintain good views of the water and the Mackinac Bridge, which residents consider to be critical to maintaining tourism.

Mr. Burden encouraged the village to design many things for children to do, including opportunities for them to touch water, such as attractive fountains. He also encouraged the village to design areas to be easily accessible and comfortable for elderly people.

"If you get it right for older people, you get it right for all people," he said.

He encouraged the village to work on the edges of its parks, advocating edges that separate parks from sidewalks, either by means of large structures for sitting, or simple, low edges that set them aside. He also encouraged the village to avoid creating any areas where parks are in view of parking lots.

The last thing you want to see at a park is a parking lot or a dumpster, he said.

Further, Mr. Burden suggested connecting its trail systems, which he cited as very important for tourist-dependent areas. There should be at least five miles of trails in tourist towns, he said.

Outdoor rooms include furniture and are attractive places for people to sit and watch each other, he said. He cited Mackinaw Crossings as an example of an area with a strong outdoor room setting.

Streets in a tourist town should look colorful, fun, and must lead to parks or to the waterfront, he said.

Details in any city, notably trash cans, must be made exceptionally attractive, he noted.

The western end of Mackinaw City needs to be "brought to life," he explained. Outdoor and indoor entertainment should be offered to get visitors to travel the acre or so between the east side and the west side. Allowing higher buildings for office and residential uses would help encourage development in the area. On the west side, he encouraged enhancement of the public library, which he said sits too far from the road and seems obscured.

Cindy Krupp of the Michigan Department of Transportation said the Walkability Study her agency funded is part of an effort by several departments and Governor Jennifer Granholm to revitalize Michigan cities. Mackinaw City was chosen by a list provided by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority as a candidate for the study.

St. Ignace was chosen for a study, however, Mr. Burden, who tours the country and visits cities on a fast moving and strict schedule, could only visit this area on a Saturday, Ms. Krupp said.

The walkability audit planners could not meet in St. Ignace during the week, when the city's representatives were able to meet them, said Deb Evashevski, director of the St. Ignace Downtown Development Authority.

City Manager Eric Dodson said he was unaware of the offer.