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Why do some streets invite us to slow down, explore and stay awhile, while others make us want to keep moving—or avoid them altogether?

For Craig Lewis, AICP, CNU-A, LEED AP, CPL’s National Placemaking Practice Leader, the answer goes deeper than sidewalks, street trees or proximity to a destination. It starts with understanding how people experience the built environment—and how our brains respond to the places around us.

That idea is at the heart of Lewis’ TEDx talk, “The Science of Walkable Cities,” delivered at TEDxUNCCharlotte in 2025. Since its release, the talk and the ideas behind it have continued to gain attention, extending the conversation about walkability beyond traditional planning and urban design circles.

Creating a walkable community, Lewis explains, isn’t simply about making it possible to get from one place to another on foot. It’s about designing environments that naturally invite movement, interaction and exploration.

The science behind walkability reinforces an important idea about placemaking: successful places are designed around the people who experience them.

Throughout his more than 30-year career in planning and urban design, Lewis has brought that perspective to communities across the country, looking beyond individual buildings, streets and infrastructure to consider how all of those elements work together to shape a place.

So, what makes some places inherently more walkable than others? Hear Craig unpack the science behind the places we’re naturally drawn to—and what it can teach us about designing better communities.

Watch “The Science of Walkable Cities”

About the Author: Craig Lewis

With more than 30 years of experience in planning and urban design, Craig leads CPL's Placemaking Practice and is recognized for helping communities, developers and institutions create vibrant, enduring places. Guiding project that bring people together around a shared vision, he is passionate about projects that reflect a community's identity, strengthen their quality of life, and support long-term economic vitality.