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	These Guidelines refer to several widely used transportation manuals such as the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD); the A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (also known as the Green Book) of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO); and the AASHTO Guide for the Planning, Design and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities. However, the warrants and standards referred to in these manuals do not always meet the pedestrian's needs. To better provide for pedestrians, this document suggests alternative design standards that could be applied in specific pedestrian areas. At a minimum, AASHTO, the MUTCD, and other accepted or adopted jurisdictional design standards must be met. Finally, this document includes simple how-to information on implementing programs to increase awareness about pedestrians and the facilities that they require. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS EFFORT When we create places where people walk, we contribute to the health, economy, and livability of our communities. The many contributions of walking to our communities have been recognized on a national scale and have spawned national movements such as healthy communities and active living. Federal, state, and local governments have all started to re-examine our built environment and retrofit and design places to safely and comfortably walk. Health In Arizona, the number of people who report being obese has increased five percent between 1991 and 2001. Arizona is not unusual. Obesity in the United States is truly epidemic. In the last ten years, obesity rates have increased by more than 60 percent among adults. Approximately 59 million adults are obese. Since 1980, obesity rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. Of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years, 15 percent —about 9 million young people—are considered overweight. Pedestrian Friendly Communities have a healthy town center have mixed uses have public gathering places are designed for universal access have slowed traffic on key pedestrian streets have a linked pedestrian system provide most services within a walkable distance of most homes (1/4 to 1/2 mile) were designed first for people, then for vehicles have human scale buildings have lots of people walking prioritize spending to focus on the pedestrian environment have visionary leaders Burden, Dan.  How Can I Find and Help Build a Walkable Community.  (http://walkable.org/article1.htm).