Submissions

Easy to be Healthy at Eastside Village
by Alpa Nawre from India

Eastside Village in Plano, Texas is a mixed-use residential development centered on the DART light-rail public transport system and the Haggard Park. This neighborhood has a Farmers Market, Children’s play area, Restaurants, Library, Theaters and Art Galleries – all within walkable distances. Illustrated is a diagram plan showing the layout of the area with photographs. There are various traffic-calming measures applied through-out the development like narrow streets, special paving and frequent pedestrian crosswalks. As a solution to our current comfort-loving habits, the urban design has been very successful in initiating a change in life-styles because it truly is more convenient to walk than drive! Residents of this neighborhood prefer to take the DART to work instead of being stuck in the Dallas traffic. Weekends and mornings see people jogging in the park or having fun in a family picnic. In a country measured by interstate roads, examples like the Eastside Village show promise of a re-emerging lifestyle with alternate means of transportation, easy pedestrian access to groceries and restaurants with a central green for staying fit. The introduction of physical exercise as a part of daily routine, healthy food availability and a space for commune with the green combined with a lively cultural scene empowers the residents of this neighborhood to be fit through an easy and natural life-style.