BikeMN is proud to announce that we have signed on to the Yes To Homes Coalition’s Steering Committee. But what does housing have to do with bicycle or pedestrian topics? More than you may realize!
Minnesota communities have been incentivized to sprawl and bloat outwards, moving neighbors further away from each other and further away from amenities and destinations we all love and cherish. We know that when walking/rolling trips are pushed out past a mile or biking trips are pushed out past 3-5 miles, they are much more likely to be made in a car or not at all.
This dramatically impacts the ability for kids to get to school and to friends, but it also makes communities less livable for everyone, especially folks with mobility challenges.
Not only are these development patterns bad for mobility freedom, they are terrible for the planet and for city finances. They are also horrific for public health.
Sedentary lifestyles have significant negative repercussions on our health which add costs to our overburdened healthcare system but also moves us away from the year round active culture that Minnesota is known for. When we make it easy for people to be active in their daily lives, they ARE active in their daily lives. When they are active in their daily lives, the risk of every major cause of death decreases.
We are also attentive to the ways that housing costs are negatively impacting recreational riding. After all, housing isn’t just a challenge in larger towns and cities. It affects our friends in the outdoor recreation industry, the hospitality industry, the service industry, and more. When we talk to folks in the outdoor industry, the cost of housing is one of the biggest challenges they bring up. The impact of the now 100k statewide housing unit shortage has resulted in the average housing costs across the country more than doubling in the past decade and a half. In more ways than not these added costs mean more financial stress and less financial resiliency for our state.
We need to make it easier to build more types of homes in areas where they make the most sense. Gentle density creates communities with easy and convenient walkable + bikeable + accessible living for everyone.
You can learn more about the Yes to Homes Coalition and sign onto the petition at: www.moreneighbors.org/yes-to-homes.
Minnesota is a national leader in forward-thinking transportation policy — and that didn’t happen by chance. For over 18 years, BikeMN has been at the table, fight after fight, shaping a future where biking, walking, and rolling is safe, accessible, and valued. That work is funded by members like you. Join as a sustaining supporter today at bikemn.org/join — $5 or $10 a month helps ensure Minnesota stays ahead. We all move forward together.