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If you’ve ever wished you could ditch the car and just stroll down to your favorite cafe, park, or bookstore, you’re not alone. Busy highways cut through the middle of many downtowns, and gaps in sidewalks make walking more scary than neighborly.
But if you visit a European city, you’ll likely notice residents walking to buy a loaf of bread for dinner or meeting friends for coffee which begs the question, is it possible to reduce the dependence on cars in your town?
Ray Delahanty, whose “CityNerd” YouTube channel focuses on urban planning best practices, said safe and attractive walkways and bicycle paths are not only possible but preferable. Improving walkability can transform a town into a memorable destination where people want to live and visit, he said.
“We need to have a variety of urban and suburban contexts for people to live so they have choices,” he said. “The choice isn’t there for most people who want to live in walkable environments. The demand is so high, and there aren’t enough places to satisfy the demand.”
This raises another interesting question: If there’s such a high demand for walkable cities, why are so few American cities considered walkable?
Image Source: Visit Duluth
There was a time in American history when cities were mostly walkable out of necessity. Cars were considered luxury items when first produced and unaffordable for the average citizen. Most businesses were within walking distance because people didn’t have the means to travel further.
This began to change in the 1920s. Led by Henry Ford’s advances in conveyor belt-based vehicle assembly, car production skyrocketed. In 1900, around 5,000 motor vehicles were produced in the United States. By the time 1927 rolled around, over 17 million registered motor vehicles existed in the U.S. That number climbed to 23 million registered vehicles over the course of that year. This led to sharp decreases in vehicle costs. For example, Ford’s famed Model T dropped in price from $850 to $290 during this time.
With more cars in the hands of more people, more miles could be covered and people could live further away from the city center. Several other factors converged, primarily during the 1950s, leading Americans to adopt suburban living en masse. Cultural phenomena including “white flight” and the “pursuit of the American dream” became prevalent as cities and their school systems became increasingly desegregated, leading many Americans to pursue less diverse areas away from the urban core as they were perceived to be safer. Through advertisements promoting spacious suburban homes on large plots of land as an aspirational standard, consumer preferences began to shift towards this ideal. According to the book The American Yawp (Stanford University Press), the suburban portion of the U.S. population rose from 19.5 percent in 1940 to 30.7 percent in 1960.
Adding to the impact of social and consumer preferences, many cities influenced car-centric infrastructure through laws that required a specific number of parking spaces per building and zoning regulations that both mandated the development of single-family homes with large lots and separated residential areas from commercial and industrial areas. There was also a decline in investment in public transportation. While these are all vehicles for driving cities away from walkability, perhaps the largest influence came with the Federal Highway Act of 1956. The law provided funding for the interstate highway system, encouraging even greater car mobility and giving people the option to live in newly developed suburbs while maintaining employment in city centers.
Image Source: Visit Duluth
While America’s past and present are as filled with automobiles as most interstates after 5:00 p.m., there are several indications that its future could be quite different. World events and shifts in consumer preferences have sparked several trends that revolutionize the way civic leaders approach city planning and, in time, may increase access to walkable neighborhoods. These trends include:
Mixed-Use Development: In many ways, mixed-use developments are the next generation of traditional neighborhoods where modern apartments are built above retail shops and restaurants and are near corporate offices or co-working spaces. These areas may include a central greenspace as well. While many mixed-use development areas are anchored by large entertainment areas (for example, KC Live anchors the Power & Light District in Kansas City, Missouri), others are anchored by larger retail areas. An emerging trend within this trend is mixed-use developments anchored by sports facilities. In Overland Park, Kansas, AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk is under construction, but once completed, it will serve as a recreation amenity for residents and a tourism driver for the already successful Bluhawk development.
Focus on Health: Numerous studies tout the benefits of walking, many of which align with the benefits of living in walkable environments, including reducing the risk of obesity, heart disease, and anxiety brought on by isolation. As cities discover ways to attract new residents and satisfy current ones, a focus on planning environments that provide health benefits has become a priority. And it’s not just large communities making this shift.
In Greenwood, South Carolina, a town of 22,000 residents, a master plan was established in 2021 to change the look and feel of its uptown area. Changes included tightening a four-lane road to two lanes and removing architectural arcades to make room for more greenspace and walkable areas. In recent years, the town has also added mini-parks to its streetscape, making the city more noticeably “green” and walkable.
Planning as a Community Process: Engaging residents and business leaders in city planning is becoming an increasing part of how cities enhance the quality of life for everyone, which has led some cities toward developing more walkable areas because citizens are asking for them. In Marion, Iowa (Community Playmaker’s 2023 Community of the Year), an approach to boosting livability started with ideas from residents. Over 5,000 people in Marion participated in brainstorming sessions. One of the overarching ideas coming from these sessions was the desire for more community gathering spaces. In response, Marion converted an old alleyway in their uptown area to Uptown Artway. This is an art-focused area with a stage and a row of sculptures. The area has been further enhanced by walking plazas along their main thoroughfare (Seventh Avenue), which has drawn numerous restaurants to the area.
The examples below embody these trends. Through a focus on spaces that reflect the desire of residents, possess multiple uses, and provide healthy outlets, civic leaders in these communities are driving the development of areas that are vibrant, sustainable, and fun.
Image Source: Visit Duluth
Councilor Jeanette Shaw of Tigard, Oregon (a suburb of Portland) said that she and the previous elected officials who have served the community made walkability a priority simply because their residents considered it one.
“Our community wants to be outdoors,” she said. “Our goal is to have a vision where we are walkable, healthy, and accessible, where people can do their errands, engage with others, and enjoy the community.”
Today, everyone in Tigard lives within a 10-minute walk of a park or a trail, and planners are looking for ways to enhance connectivity to other areas of town.
Delahanty, who worked as a transportation planner before starting his YouTube channel, applauded Tigard for a long-term vision created with input from residents. As a result, officials were able to make some big wins in the name of walking.
For example, city officials voted to successfully request the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to lower speed limits in residential areas from 25 to 20 mph. They also transferred ownership of the main highway that cuts through town from DOT to the city; as a result, there will soon be wider sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and public spaces to make it more pedestrian-friendly.
“It’s difficult to get the public excited about something that will happen in 20 years,” Delahanty said. “But it starts with having public conversations about it.”
Councilor Shaw said Tigard’s biggest cheerleaders for walkability are its children. As part of their “Safe Routes to School” initiative, the city held a “Walk or Roll to School Day.” Almost two-thirds of the students participated. They also got a relatively easy win by adding public artwork to area trails and holding a bike rodeo during a recent Hispanic heritage festival.
“Start with a feel-good, short-term, winnable goal to get community engagement,” she said. “Kids, when they’re walking or riding bikes, there’s nothing cuter. They are the voice of the council about why it’s important to have safe routes.”
Tigard officials have also connected trails leading to the recently renovated downtown Universal Plaza, an area designed to serve as a public meeting space. “Community connections come only once people get out of their cars,” said Delahanty.
Image Source: Visit Duluth
Along with holding charettes and surveys with town residents, elected officials also need to collaborate with other municipalities if they want to see changes to their long-range transportation plans. Every town and city has a place at the table of the local metropolitan planning agency.
You’ll need to find consensus not just on walking and bicycling plans, but also find funding for enhanced public transit systems, sidewalk amenities, and bike facilities.
Roz Randorf, the city council president for Duluth, Minnesota, said grant dollars have made their city’s dream of enhanced walkability a reality.
Last year, they received $25 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE grant to revitalize two miles of Superior Street, a road that runs through the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Part of that money will go to work for improvements in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Councilors should pay attention to how their city is planning on replacing aging infrastructure,” she recommended. “Take advantage of grant opportunities, such as the federal RAISE grant, that can help your community invest in ADA-accessible sidewalks.”
As West Superior Street becomes more attractive with trees, lighting, and other amenities, officials are encouraging relatively high-density, mixed-use development nearby. Policy shifts include strategic building codes, more bike lanes, and fewer required parking spaces.
“Duluth is being very deliberate with creating a transportation system that connects all users in a way that promotes safety, health, and quality of life,” she added. “As a society, we need to become more active. One of the ways to do that is by promoting walking.”
Still, there can be unintended consequences when elected officials focus on walkability, Delahanty advised.
“With the political will, it depends on the city,” he said. “Everyone doesn’t think the same way.”
Members of younger generations tend to prefer walkable places, so long-term demographic projections can help guide officials toward an appropriate master plan. If they are interested in increasing density — and adding mixed-use zoning for more walking opportunities — they’ll also want to consider public transportation access in those same areas.
Such improvements may add to maintenance costs as their towns grow and thrive, so officials may want to explore funding options, such as tax increment funding or state transportation grants. The idea is to think well into the future and find solutions to common situations like gentrification and displacement before a crisis arises.
In the end, coordinating regional transportation plans with land use zoning and codes will be worth the effort, said Delahanty.
“It can make a difference in the quality of life, health, and possibly your finances.”
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