The cast of NBC’s old hit show The West Wing reconvened recently for a public service announcement/spoof of their own show:

In the clip, a group of the president’s aides are having a fast-paced “walk-and-talk” through the halls of the White House, discussing a new health initiative that they say could mitigate the effects of high gas prices, lower the risk of a slew of diseases and cut depression.

But the twist at the end when they finally arrive at the Oval Office to meet with the president (minor spoiler alert) is that the proposal is not any sort of grand government program, miracle drug or miraculous new technology.

It’s walking.

According to the Everybody Walk!, which produced the clip in honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month:

With Americans spending more time at work than ever before, and much of that time sedentary at a desk, it is more important than ever that employers encourage their employees to make time to engage in physical activity. The single largest health threat to every one of us is heart disease: 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women are at risk for heart disease. While genetics do come into play, studies show that physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease. And it’s not only heart disease. Physical inactivity can also increase our risk for diabetes and cancer.

It sounds good in theory. But as anyone with a long commute, kids to usher around or daily errands to run that are spread out all across town knows, there just aren’t many hours left in the day for long, leisurely walks. Similarly, if the streets around a family’s home are unsafe and nearby parks, sidewalks or trails poorly lit and maintained, such a walk can quickly become an burdensome chore.

Simply put, it’s much easier to get motivated to get outside when it’s safe and pleasant to do so. Daily walks also become easier to do when there’s somewhere nearby to go (say, schools, shopping centers and businesses nearby that allow kids to be picked up, errands to be run, and commutes to be completed on foot).

Here at Brandon Industries, we can help. Our streetlight systems and courtyard lighting systems keep streets, sidewalks and shopping centers well-lit and safe for evening and early-morning use. Our traffic signs and outdoor signage systems keep traffic slow and where it should be. Our attractive custom wayfinding signs make exploring easy and fun.

Spring is officially in full bloom across the country. Warmer weather = more and more families spending more and more time outside in the neighborhood.

This brings with it enormous potential for residential neighborhoods to develop robust, deeply integrated communities where families feel a sense of belonging and relationship with those around them. Families are more likely to put down roots in tightly knit communities, so such neighborhoods tend to benefit from higher home prices and higher quality of life.

But to fully take advantage of this window of opportunity (before blazing summer heat sets in and sends folks scurrying inside to air conditioned bliss), a neighborhood needs to invest in a streetscape infrastructure that can keep communities safe and facilitate this outdoor exodus. This includes:

Street Signs and Custom Logo Signs

Safe streets are obviously key to any integrated, outdoors-oriented community. And we provide a comprehensive catalog of custom street signage such as wayfinding signs (to help folks get where they’re going) and traffic signs (to make sure they do so slowly and safely).

Furthermore, our custom logo signs can help create a sort of “community identity” that members can attach themselves to. It’s a small thing, but real — especially in suburban areas where developments can seem to sort of bleed into one another. A distinct sense of place can make a big difference.

Street Lights and Courtyard Lamps

The best spring and summer days are the ones that stretch deep into the night. But families won’t stay out and about after twilight if they feel unsafe or if there’s not a natural environment inviting them to do so. Step one is courtyard lamps and streetlights. Courtyard lights illuminate parks, community centers and sidewalks and beckon folks to get outside to spend time with friends and neighbors. Street lighting systems make it safe for them to get there.

Here at Brandon Industries, we’re proud to offer a streetscape catalog that helps keep communities throughout America glowing and abuzz with activity long after the sun goes down.

One of the biggest problems slowing down the housing recovery in recent years has been the huge glut of unsold homes weighing down the market. It was extraordinarily difficult for families to sell existing homes, so – naturally – it was even more difficult for homebuilders to find buyers for new homes.

In other words, the housing bubble was big. But the bust was larger.

Here’s why: the housing bubble popped, large-scale home construction came grinding to a halt. There was low demand, and even lower access to credit. But it probably slowed down a bit too much, and now it’s primed to boomerang back again (even if not to the same strength as before). Indeed, in February, new construction permits were up (even though overall new home starts were down somewhat).

According to Reuters:

Data on Tuesday showed permits to build homes rose to a near 3-1/2 year high in February. However, the housing market continues to be choked by a glut of unsold properties, which are weighing down prices. The inventory of unsold homes on the market increased 4.3 percent to 2.43 million units last month. At February’s sales pace, that represented 6.4 months’ supply, up from 6.0 months in January. A supply of six months generally is considered ideal.

Note that February wasn’t a particularly great month for new home starts. Yet, there’s still only (approximately) a 6.4-month supply of available homes on the market – pretty close to normal, and down from as much as 12 months a couple years ago.

This is an exciting prospect for us here at Brandon Industries – for obvious reasons: New construction means new opportunities for elegant, community-boosting streetscape solutions. New communities. New friendships. New possibilities. (Again, it’s a very exciting time.)

For example, new streets can be made safer with one of our beautiful lines of outdoor lighting systems or network of sturdy, highly visible decorative street signs. Or, when multiple homes are built at once in a new development, it’s an ideal time to install a cohesive series of our stately decorative mailboxes or custom logo wayfinding signs to boost a sense of community and place.

It’s just about time to close the book on winter, which (hopefully) means long days filled with plenty of sunshine are on the horizon. Longer, warmer days means more and more chances for families to get outside and enjoy their neighborhoods.

Does your neighborhood have the sort of walkable, family-friendly streetscapes that can help folks make the most of beautiful spring days? If not, we can help. Here are three streetscape solutions that can make your community buzz with outdoor activity this spring:

Street Signage Systems

The most family-friendly streets are safe streets, and street signs provide a structure within which drivers are most likely to do so with care. Here at Brandon Industries, we provide a full line of traffic signs and custom street signs, each available with an array of options including sign poles, finials, sign trims and accessories and bases.

Wayfinding and Custom Signs

Our attractive custom wayfinding signs make it easy to add a personal “human” touch to your neighborhood’s streetscapes. The signs are ideal for helping folks find their way around neighborhoods – especially parks, golf courses and community centers. They’re also excellent for communicating neighborhood rules and regulations, ensuring a safe, welcoming community accessible to everyone. Furthermore, custom wayfinding signs act as a sort of “handshake” for your neighborhood, giving first-time visitors (and home-shoppers) a friendly welcome upon arrival.

Outdoor Lighting Systems

Perhaps the best part of taking advantage of warm weather by getting out in your community, of course, is the ability to stay out just a little bit longer even after the sun goes down. Good outdoor lighting systems are key here – both for enjoyment purposes and community safety. They lower crime rates, improve traffic safety, and knit together social, connected communities.  We’ve got a full catalog of attractive, well-built street lights and courtyard lighting options, including antique reproduction lighting and vintage luminaires.

A recent study conducted by the National Association of Realtors showed that the majority of Americans now value the “walkability” of a neighborhood — basically, how easy a neighborhood makes it to get outside and walk to shops, schools, parks, and community activities — even more than the size of the homes in a neighborhood.

According to Good Magazine:

Overall, Americans’ ideal communities have a mix of houses, places to walk, and amenities within an easy walk or close drive.

When selecting a community, nearly half of the public (47%) would prefer to live in a city (19%) or a suburban neighborhood with a mix of houses, shops, and businesses (28%). Another four in ten (40%) would prefer a rural area (22%) or a small town (18%). Only one in ten (12%) say they would prefer a suburban neighborhood with houses only.

In a forced choice question, being within walking distance of amenities is preferred by a majority of Americans. Nearly six in ten adults (58%) would prefer to live in a neighborhood with a mix of houses and stores and other businesses within an easy walk. Four in ten (40%) select a community with housing only, where residents need to drive to get to businesses.

This might be surprising — who wouldn’t love a huge house, after all — but the requirement of other benefits when buying a home makes sense.

Safe, walkable neighborhoods benefit from an enhanced sense of community and “neighborly” feel. Residents benefit from a sense of integration and friendship, and are more likely to put down long-term roots if they feel a sense of belonging. Walkability also seamlessly weaves regular doses of exercise, sunshine, and nature into folks’ everyday lives.

Furthermore, as the study shows, families are increasingly looking for these sorts of benefits while shopping for a home, which means walkability has financial benefits for a neighborhood as well. Simply put, home values are likely to be higher. In a struggling housing market like the one currently experienced by communities all around the country,  these benefits can make a huge difference in attracting potential homebuyers.

Historically, dense urban areas have been designed to be walkable out of necessity — it’s hard to pack in a ton of people into a small area if everyone is expecting a designated parking spot. But in less dense areas, walkability almost needs to be a choice made by community leaders and planners. But as the studies show, home-buyers are increasingly demanding it.

Here, Brandon Industries can help. We’re proud to offer an unmatched range of streetscape solutions — such as decorative street lights, custom street signs, and wayfinding signs — that make it easy for communities to develop an infrastructure for walkability that is safe, smart, and attractive.

There’s been some excellent news on the housing market front lately. According to the economics blog Calculated Risk, unsold existing home inventories have declined 21 percent since this time last year.

This indicates that more and more folks are feeling confident enough to buy a new home. Yet, overall, home prices are still relatively low, even if prices seemed prime to rise. This means it’s a historically lucrative time for folks in good position to buy a new home to do so. And with unemployment figures steadily ticking downward, this spring and summer will likely see many families who’d been waiting for the broader economic picture to improve before buying a home take the plunge.

Here are three ways your neighborhood should respond:

Help Home Shoppers Say ‘Yes’

Simply put, home buyers are coming soon to your neighborhood, so it might be a good idea to put on a fresh coat of paint before greeting them (especially if your neighborhood has delayed needed upgrades due to neighborhood association budget crunches during the economic downturn).

New streetscape elements such as decorative sidewalk lighting or courtyard lamps or decorative street signs can help these home-buyers decide to call your neighborhood home.

Help Your Home-Sellers Sell

Still, despite the expected increase of home-buyers this spring and summer, your neighborhood will be facing plenty of competition with other nearby communities. One of the biggest drags on the economic recovery has been the huge inventories of unsold or foreclosed upon homes still out there on the market.

Streetscape solutions such as decorative mailboxes and custom wayfinding signs can give families in your community who need to sell their homes an added edge over the competition.

Build New, Build Right

According to MoneyBox, homebuilder confidence has surged lately as well. This might mean its time for new developments to begin sprouting up again. Starting a community from scratch is a wonderful opportunity to build a walkable, park-filled place burst with friendships and vibrant public spaces.

It’s not a bad idea, of course, to air on the side of caution when it comes to street lighting systems such as commercial luminaires and decorative lamp posts and signage systems such as traffic signs and custom aluminum street signs. And here at Brandon Industries, we take pride in providing communities with reliable, top-quality streetscape products at affordable prices.

But careful, accurate streetscape installations can save your community a bit of money that can be used elsewhere (say, on attractive courtyard lighting for a park or community space) — without sacrificing safety.

Our streetscape experts can help.

For example, how can your community decide exactly how many street lights (and what type of street lamps) are needed to keep your streets safe for pedestrians and drivers alike — without going overboard and ordering and installing extra lights that don’t actually enhance lighting coverage or aesthetic appeal. Each community has unique needs concerning streetlights, depending upon the landscape of the neighborhood and specific traffic patterns. So each community will require a unique streetscape solution.

Or, for another example, your community’s wayfinding sign needs and traffic sign needs will depend specifically on both local and state laws and regulations.

Here at Brandon Industries, we’ve been serving the streetscape needs of neighborhoods nationwide for nearly 25 years. So we have a highly refined, unmatched understanding of what is needed in most streetscape installations. But beyond our own experience and expertise, we also know when to ask for help — and when outside experts are needed (such as a local lighting engineer, city government officials or neighborhood association representatives). We can tell you who you need to check with concerning different installations, as well as how to find them.

But the first step is simply to contact us with any questions about what’s right for your neighborhood, business center, retail center, school, park or entertainment complex.

Christmas is over. New Year’s came and went with a last triumphant blow of the party horn. The peak of winter is likely just a few weeks away, which can only mean that… it’s time to start planning for summer now.

Okay — there’s no real hurry. But summer comes quickly, and you’ll want to be ready with streetscape projects completed when it does. Here are two reasons to start planning for summer early:

residential streetscape

Summer Home Shopping

Spring is home-shopping season and summer is home-buying season. The housing market is historically buyer-friendly, which means that communities are still likely in competition mode when it comes to attracting new families to their neighborhoods. When home-buyers make a decision, they don’t just purchase a house — they “purchase” the neighborhood. Finding a safe, walkable, attractive neighborhood that fosters a robust sense of community spirit can be just as important as square footage and a desirable floorplan in the home-buying decision.

Our streetscape solutions are excellent for making a striking first impression with potential home-buyers. For example, our custom wayfinding signs “welcome” shoppers and demonstrate a commitment to excellence and class. Our street lighting systems and street signs demonstrate a determined devotion to safety that shoppers crave for their children. Our custom logo signs add a sense of distinct community identity. And our decorative mailboxes can add a bit of nostalgic, old-world charm that can leave a lasting impression.

Outdoors

Longer days mean more time spent outdoors, and summer school vacations mean outdoor playtime often extends past twilight. We all want our kids to be able to play in the streets, explore neighborhood parks, and walk to school safely. That’s why most families move to neighborhoods like the ones we serve. Our streetscape solutions such as outdoor lighting systems and traffic signs can help maintain a safe, care-free environment for your community’s kids.

It’s simply a wonderful time of year here in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Here’s how just a few of our streetscape solutions can keep your neighborhood safe and celebrating:

1. Wayfinding signs — To help folks navigate shopping and entertainment centers and make the Christmas shopping rush that much less stressful. The last thing you’ll want to do is be lost and looking for a parking spot in front of the wrong store.
2. Decorative Streetlights and Lamp Posts — To keep streets illuminated, friendly, and safe for both residents and visitors, without resorting to a prison-like ultra-industrial look.
3. Traffic signs — To make sure drivers stop where they need to stop, allowing families of carolers to walk where they need to walk.
4. Decorative mailboxes — To receive Christmas cards with style and grace.
5. Locking mailboxes — To prevent Christmas gift theft (the most heinous of all crimes).
6. Custom shape aluminum street signs — To make sure that when you invite friends and family over for Christmas dinner parties, they’ll actually arrive before the eggnog is gone.
7. Custom logo signs — To help lost friends at least figure out what neighborhood they’re in.
8. Sidewalk lights — To keep the streets inviting and encourage families to come outside, stroll the neighborhood, look at Christmas lights, and sing through that caroling songbook.
9. HDPE and ACE signs – To make sure visitors feel welcome in your neighborhood (and understand your community’s rules).
10. Radar feedback signs — To remind drivers that the holiday season is a great time to slooooow down and relax a bit.
11. Courtyard lights — To make public spaces like parks accessible after dark, and to keep outdoor shopping centers open for last-minute gift scrambles.
12. Tough aluminum construction — To maintain reliability during an unexpected white Christmas.

Last time here on the Brandon Industries blog, we talked a bit about how our line of tough, reliable locking mailboxes do more than just prevent mail theft (which is far more common than most homeowners think). Locking mailboxes prevent identity theft, loss of income, missed payments on bills, and loss of irreplaceable items like letters and gifts from friends and family.

Don’t believe that it could happen to you? Let’s take a look at some stats:

• In 2006, police across America made 5,060 arrests for mail theft.
• 4,625 of the thieves were convicted.
• A typical thief can usually get around $1,000 from a mailbox from new or reissued checks.
• Mail theft is a federal offense punishable by $250,000 fines… yet it still happens all the time.

Beyond just the money, one of the scariest things mail theft can lead to is identity theft:

• According to a leading blog about identity theft, more than 15 million people each year in America experience identity theft of some form.
• Identity theft causes, on average, $50 million in losses for families across America.
• This means that nearly 7 percent of all Americans will be victims of identity theft.
• Per case, identity theft results in an average of $3,500 in losses each.
• Close to 100 million Americans are at risk of at mail theft-caused identity theft.

If identity theft isn’t bad enough, check out what types of trouble mail theft attracts: In Arizona, from 90 to 95 percent of mail theft in the Tuscon area comes from meth users.

You get the point. It’s just not worth it.

According to police and the US Postal Service, “deterring mail thieves is as easy as locking outside mailboxes.” So our line of decorative locking mailboxes can make a big, big difference.

We’ve got two models, The Defender and The Reliant — both can secure your mail without sacrificing style and aesthetic purity.