Here is a quick share of an article on walking and walkability, and the relation with dementia:

Steuteville, R. (March 10, 2025) “Living in a walkable place reduces dementia,”   , https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2025/03/10/living-walkable-place-reduces-dementia [Last accessed: 3/29/2025]

To quote from the article:

“When we live in a walkable place, we move more, naturally. Unsurprisingly, exercise is linked to better cognitive health. Regular exercise increases memory, and boosts hippocampal volume by 2 percent.

Also, walkable neighborhoods are more stimulating. They are built on connected street networks, which give individuals more choices on how to get around and reward those choices with diverse physical paths linked to spatial memories. And they are mixed-use.

“Street layouts with better connectivity and walkability are associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment. Access to local amenities, such as food stores, community centers, and healthcare amenities, supports cognitive health,” the authors note.

Social connections also probably help. When you walk to a destination, you are more likely to have friendly interactions, which have been shown to reduce the risk of depression, and walkable places also boost the sense of community.”

As there are many senior citizens in our village, the topic is quite relevant. Most seniors probably won’t take a walk if they felt it was dangerous or risky even inside residential subdivisions. In our neighborhood, there are a few of them going around using their motorcycles or scooters. Most I see walking around perhaps for exercise or leisure rather than to go to a store or restaurant in the area. But increased traffic due to customers of restaurants that sprouted around the village has increased the risk for those who walk. Hopefully, the induced motor vehicle traffic generated by these establishments can be managed and regulated for the overall welfare of residents.

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