Sustainable Westport recently hosted “Walkable Westport,” an evening conversation designed to encourage our community to consider short and long-term opportunities to transform Westport into a more walkable, bike-friendly, and sustainable community. The gathering brought together residents, organizations, and renowned urban planner Jeff Speck to discuss the importance of walkability and its positive impact on the economy, environment, and overall quality of life. The event was a resounding success, leaving nearly 200 residents not just inspired but also feeling a part of a larger movement, motivated to help shape the future of Westport.

Sustainable Westport Co-Directors, Gately Ross and Johanna Martell opened the event by expressing their gratitude to the attendees and sponsors who made the evening possible. In her opening remarks, Martell shared, “We believe that creating a more walkable Westport is key to fostering a sustainable and economically vibrant environment. It’s about making small changes and big commitments that will benefit us all in the long run.”

The highlight of the evening was Jeff Speck’s insightful keynote address, which highlighted not only his personal experience in urban planning but also his learnings from various economists, environmentalists, and epidemiologists, who all advocate for walkability from various perspectives. As Jeff explained, “Changing all your lightbulbs to energy savers saves as much energy in a year as moving to a walkable neighborhood saves in a week. Location efficiency plays a pivotal role in reducing our carbon footprint and creating a greener future.”

In his presentation, Jeff explored how parking, vehicle size, speed limits, the environment, the number of lanes, and the width of our city blocks and roads impact walkability and safety. 

As Jeff explained, “It’s not enough to rely solely on electric cars or individual efforts. We must embrace a collective change in mindset and design our communities to prioritize walkability. Together, we can create a more sustainable and vibrant Westport.”

The morning after the community event, a small group of local officials including the First Selectwoman and members of the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee (DPIC) met with Speck and Sustainable Westport to discuss some of the ideas included in Jeff’s presentation. During the workshop, Speck reiterated the importance of a comprehensive master plan that addresses parking policy and strategy alongside riverfront redesign and other development efforts.

On the heels of Jeff’s visit, Sustainable Westport urges residents to continue the conversation by actively contributing to the vision of a walkable Westport:

• If you were inspired by Jeff’s ideas, including his design of Parker Harding, speak up and share your opinion by emailing the RTM (RTM-DL@Westportct.gov), the Planning and Zoning Commission (PandZ@Westportct.gov), and our First Selectwoman Jen Tooker (JTooker@Westportct.gov).  
• If you want to address traffic and safety issues, Ms. Tooker has a survey on her office’s website or email the head of the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Task Force, Tom Kiely (Tkiely@westportct.gov).
• If you have other ideas about the downtown redevelopment, including the incorporation of parking structures, please share your feedback with the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee (DPIC) here and be on the lookout for opportunities to participate and share your voice at upcoming DPIC public forums (dates to be announced).

More about Jeff Speck: Jeff Speck is a city planner and author who advocates internationally for more walkable cities. As Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 through 2007, he presided over the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and created the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Prior to his federal appointment, Mr. Speck spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at DPZ & Co., the principal firm behind the New Urbanism movement. Since 2007, he has led Speck & Associates — now Speck Dempsey —an award-winning urban planning firm serving public and private clients around the world.

With Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Mr. Speck is the co-author of Suburban Nation, which the Wall Street Journal calls “the urbanist’s bible.” His 2012 book Walkable City was the best-selling city planning title of the past decade and has been translated into eight languages. He is also the principal author of The Smart Growth Manual and Walkable City Rules.

Jeff Speck has been named a fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Congress for New Urbanism. In a recent Planetizen poll, he was voted one of the ten “most influential urbanists of all time.” Mr. Speck was the 2022 recipient of the Seaside Prize, whose former awardees include Jane Jacobs and Christopher Alexander. His TED talks and YouTube videos have been viewed more than six million times.