Hundreds will gather in the streets of Pasadena on Saturday, March 1, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, with one goal in mind: to make the city more walker-friendly in the Downtown Pasadena Walkabout.

The walkabout was originally scheduled for January 26, but was postponed due to weather concerns.

Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard will be on-hand to welcome all participants.

The Downtown Pasadena Walkabout will gather volunteers ranging from city officials, residents, architects, and environmentalists on a quest to make downtown Pasadena more walkable. The event will begin with a keynote speech from Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard followed by a short training session by Deborah Murphy, Urban Designer/Planner of Deborah Murphy Urban Design + Planning, on what makes a great and walkable street.

"The training will be a powerpoint that follows the walkability checklist to inform the participants on what they should be looking for along and across the streets of Pasadena and will also highlight what makes a great street," says Deborah Murphy.

Teams of walkers will then fan out across Downtown Pasadena to evaluate and record their walking experience and bring about their recommendations in hopes of increasing pedestrian safety and comfort.

"Pasadena’s vibrant streetscapes provide a lively and dynamic backdrop for walkers. Whether moving briskly or at a slower pace, residents, workers and visitors are fortunate that Pasadena is such a pedestrian-friendly community," says Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. "After the January 26 Downtown Walkabout, I invite everyone to join me the first Wednesday of every month for a walk around the Rose Bowl Stadium at 7:45 a.m. Let’s get up and moving, Pasadena!"

The goal in conducting walkabouts is to uncover how to elevate the walking experience in communities. Walkabouts bring the community together to discover the benefits and pleasures of walking for transportation, recreation and community building. Further it provides a framework for communities to observe pedestrian safety, walking environments, consistency of walks, lighting, signage, etc. By conducting walkabouts communities are able to see what needs improvement. What streets need speed bumps, where to improve street lights, etc.

The walkabout was originally scheduled for January 26, but was postponed due to weather concerns.

For more information on the Downtown Pasadena Walkabout, contact Josefina Mora at 626-744-0340 or jmora@playhousedistrict.org.