By Mark Ambrogi
Communities with walkable areas are becoming more and more popular.
“It was a theme we heard about when the four (Hamilton County) mayors got together… They are trying to build communities that are attracting people,” OneZone president Mo Merhoff said. “Studies abound on why walkability and the ease of getting around is important. It goes directly to that sense of place that each of our Hamilton County communities are trying to build. In both Carmel’s and Fishers’ case, there was no downtown in their communities (in the past). People are increasingly voting with their feet. They want alternatives to drive to get anything they want, whether it’s driving to work, driving to school or driving for food, entertainment or parks.”
OneZone will present Christopher Leinberger, author of “The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a New American Dream” and a professor at George Washington University School of Business, as a speaker at its luncheon from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. June 8 at 502 East Event Centre, 502 Carmel Dr. Carmel. Leinberger will tale about the opportunities of in developing socially and financially sustainable communities.
“He’s an expert on why what our communities are doing makes sense,” Merhoff said.
The walkable town centers include Carmel’s City Center and Arts & Design District, Fishers’ Fishers’ Nickel Plate District, Westfield’s Grand Junction, and Noblesville’s Riverfront Redevelopment District.
“It’s not just the younger crowd that wants walkability, it’s baby boomers, too,” Merhoff said.
Leinberger will share his insight on the challenges and opportunities in developing environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable communities.
Nicole DelMastro, director of marketing for CloudOne in Fishers, said walkability was an important factor in selecting the CloudOne headquarters, at 8626 E. 116th St., Fishers.
“The walkability in Fishers was extremely important as we chose a location for CloudOne’s headquarters,” DelMastro said. “In addition to the health benefits of a walkable community, we’ve found that working in an area that provides dining and shopping options close by is really time and cost efficient for our employees. Nobody wants to sit inside an office all day and then spend their lunch break stuck in traffic. Our team loves to walk to different restaurants during our lunch breaks. Since our move to Fishers, we spend less time commuting and more time doing things that we love now that everything in the community is easily accessible. “
Luncheon reservations are due by noon June 6. For more, visit onezonecommerce.com.