PASR hosting pre-retirement seminar

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Sunny skies, seasonal temperatures expected into the midweek

Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8230; prominently post plastic signs in and near downtown Wilkes-Barre letting people know the distance to nearby, walkable destinations?Pedestrians might spot, for instance, a message telling them: &#8220;You&#8217;re 3 minutes from the movie theater.&#8221; Other sought-after sites that might warrant signs: the Luzerne County Historical Society&#8217;s museum, Wilkes University&#8217;s soon-to-relocated Sordoni Art Gallery, Kirby Park&#8217;s playground and, tucked inside the Genetti Hotel, those bicycles available for borrowing as part of the <a href="http://genetti.com/genetti-wilkes-barre/wilkes-barre-bike-share/" target="_blank">Wilkes-Barre Bike Share program</a>.About four years ago, unauthorized &#8220;wayfaring&#8221; signs popped up in Raleigh, North Carolina. The stunt reportedly snagged the attention of city officials, who liked what they saw, according to a <a href="http://www.citylab.com/tech/2012/02/guerilla-wayfinding-raleigh/1139/" target="_blank">February 2012 article</a> at CityLab.com.A similar effort in Oakland, California, won seventh place in an IBM-sponsored <a href="http://people4smartercities.com/series/citizens-submit-winning-ideas-improve-their-cities" target="_blank">&#8220;smarter cities&#8221; citizens&#8217; contest</a>. Promoters in the Golden State say a sign-hanging blitz can encourage people to &#8220;create safe and healthy walkable environments&#8221; using affordable materials. (Watch the video at <a href="http://people4smartercities.com/video/walk-your-city" target="_blank">people4smartercities.com/video/walk-your-city</a>.)Hmm, promotes healthy living and doesn&#8217;t cost much. Doesn&#8217;t that sound like a good fit for Northeastern Pennsylvania?The larger point is that community-minded people &#8211; even people unconnected to any official group or of modest means &#8211; can take action to improve their surroundings. For inspiration, visit websites such as <a href="http://people4smartercities.com/" target="_blank">People4SmarterCities.com</a>.Incidentally, another top finisher in IBM&#8217;s contest involved the <a href="http://people4smartercities.com/video/play-me" target="_blank">placement of pianos in public spaces</a> throughout New York City. What if someone plopped an old piano on Public Square, or maybe Main Street, Pittston, and allowed passersby to play?Would it encourage strangers to interact? Might it spread joy?Aren&#8217;t those the sort of desirable results for which our cities, from Hazleton to Scranton, should be striving?Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.Likewise, tell us your ideas for improving the community and making area residents&#8217; lives better. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestion in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;

Our Opinion: ‘Borrowed’ ideas could offer blueprint for improving NEPA’s cities