The 5 Minute Rule

Let’s walk.

Studies have shown that most suburban-dwelling Americans are willing to walk a quarter mile to get where they want to go. And for the vast majority who happen not to be Olympic speedwalkers, a quarter mile adds up to about a five-minute walk. At Daybreak we’ve taken this observation to heart and turned it into a guiding principle for the planning of the community.

The idea here is to bring everything in close, right into the neighborhoods, so that when you step out your front door, you’re within a five-minute walk of a park or a trail. Perhaps a school or a community center or a village center’s shops and restaurants. Maybe a light rail station, where you can catch a ride downtown. Possibly even a big lake.

It just makes sense that the more places you have within walking distance, the more you’ll walk. The more you can accomplish on your walk. And the better you’ll feel.