Entrance to Delray Beac

What does it take for a small town to overcome obstacles thrown in its path and eventually turn itself into an award-winning city?

Delray Beach is one prime example. The transition this municipality made from a village by the sea faced with several challenges to one of the most successful small towns in Florida is a noteworthy study in how to get the right things done.

All along residents believed they lived in a special place, and they passed on that belief from one generation to another. That mindset became the driving force to take some bold steps to revitalize the town and a philosophy to keep innovating and never stop making improvements.

Some residents will point to one particular period in the town's history as an example of how this

Cristan Hassan Acosta Villafane teaches woman to ride a bike provided by Bikes for the World (Source: All photographs supplied courtesy of BikesfortheWorld.org)

Bicycling for most Americans is a leisure activity. Something we do on weekends or evenings.  We often take bicycles for granted.

But in Third World countries, a bicycle can be a game-changer - a tool for earning a living, attending school, or saving a life.  Farmers can carry their produce to market.  Tradesmen can carry their tools over a wider service area and earn more.

Students living at a distance from school can get there quicker, on time, and with more energy to learn.   Health workers serving low-income communities can move from household to household faster, carrying more medications and serving more patients.

That's where Bikes for

How Walton County improved their bike infrastructure and added custom bike racks to attract more bicycling tourists

Josh Ervin, the Beach Maintenance Manager with Walton County custom bike rack

What makes a destination community special? Is it just beaches and mountains? Or is there something else going on that gives you a sense this place is truly different. For example, you may notice how easy a town makes it to get around and interact with all their beautiful scenery.

One great way to do that is with a solid bicycling infrastructure - bike lanes, bicycle parking racks (in South Walton's case -

Custom bike rack in Laramie Wyo. designed by artist Meg Thompson (Source: Laramie Main Street Alliance

It's a very simple formula for towns to attract business and add a little zest to the landscape - install artistic custom bike racks.

With today's advances in bicycle parking manufacturing, more and more municipalities and downtown development associations are discovering that they can easily feature a bunch of artistic bike racks on their sidewalks.

This immediately creates a buzz that brings in shoppers and creates a newfound sense of pride from residents.

The manufacturing of bike racks has made incredible advances in the past few decades. Rather than ordering a plain old grid-style bike rack, towns can now liven up their streets with butterflies, flowers,

Custom bike rack donated by The Park Catalog to the Delray Beach Parks and Rec Dept. From left, Suzanne Davis, director, Danielle Pearson, site supervisor of the "505" Teen Center and Christopher George of The Park Catalo

Delray Beach Florida prides itself on being a unique village by the sea. And when it comes to the Delray Beach Parks and Rec Department, that philosophy certainly creates some unique challenges and opportunities.

Take their "505" Teen Recreation Center for example.

They have the usual Xbox video