Almost 9 in 10 people say "a neighborhood that's walkable is important to them -- more so, in fact, than spacious rooms or acreage," according to 60,000 people who responded to a Better Homes & Gardens magazine survey.
Fully 88% said a walkable community was important to them, when answering questions about their home "wish lists."
February 5, 2005
February 4, 2005
Study: Michigan Gov’t Spending Encourages Sprawl
Michigan suffers from "a pervasive pattern of public investments for roads, jobs, government offices, and business development that encourages runaway sprawl," according to a study conducted by the Michigan Land Use Institute and United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan.
"In almost every category of state economic development spending, cities and older suburbs lose and new suburbs win. And while it is the residents of older cities and suburbs who must dig deep into their own pockets to keep their communities afloat as needed state money flows elsewhere, every Michigan citizen ultimately pays."
The study confirms what smart-growth advocates have long suspected: We're not suffering from massive suburban sprawl solely because "that's what Americans want." Government spending patterns encourage it, through policies such as spending billions for the "Big Dig" to help suburbanites drive into Boston but balking at similar scale investments for public transit.
In fact, some Americans do want sprawl (although probably not quite looking like Rte. 9 in the Golden Triangle). But MANY other Americans want communities where walking is an encouraged option. Even in suburbs, where many residents remain wedded to the private car, people would like the option to park once and then walk to multiple destinations, instead of having to drive their cars just half a mile away because the walking environment is unattractive and/or unsafe.
"In almost every category of state economic development spending, cities and older suburbs lose and new suburbs win. And while it is the residents of older cities and suburbs who must dig deep into their own pockets to keep their communities afloat as needed state money flows elsewhere, every Michigan citizen ultimately pays."
The study confirms what smart-growth advocates have long suspected: We're not suffering from massive suburban sprawl solely because "that's what Americans want." Government spending patterns encourage it, through policies such as spending billions for the "Big Dig" to help suburbanites drive into Boston but balking at similar scale investments for public transit.
In fact, some Americans do want sprawl (although probably not quite looking like Rte. 9 in the Golden Triangle). But MANY other Americans want communities where walking is an encouraged option. Even in suburbs, where many residents remain wedded to the private car, people would like the option to park once and then walk to multiple destinations, instead of having to drive their cars just half a mile away because the walking environment is unattractive and/or unsafe.
February 2, 2005
Another Suburb (Not Framingham) Seeks To Design For Pedestrians, Not Just Cars
"Batavia's comprehensive plan has called for a safer downtown that accommodates pedestrians - not just cars," reports the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago.
A city engineer presented designs that would increase the sidewalk area at a dangerous intersection, which "would give walkers and bikers more room to cross the street and vehicles better visibility when approaching the intersection."
Meanwhile, here in MetroWest, my lunchtime walking buddy and I threw in the towel and drove to Shoppers World today, instead of taking what should be a 10-minute walk. Two weeks after the snowstorm, sidewalks in the area remain uncleared and trying to actually get anywhere in the area by foot is extremely dangerous.
A city engineer presented designs that would increase the sidewalk area at a dangerous intersection, which "would give walkers and bikers more room to cross the street and vehicles better visibility when approaching the intersection."
Meanwhile, here in MetroWest, my lunchtime walking buddy and I threw in the towel and drove to Shoppers World today, instead of taking what should be a 10-minute walk. Two weeks after the snowstorm, sidewalks in the area remain uncleared and trying to actually get anywhere in the area by foot is extremely dangerous.
Designing For People, Not Cars
What does a place look like when it's designed for people, and not vehicles? CoolTown Studios posts a photo of a pedestrian-scale street with outdoor dining, noting how different such a scene would look in a typical American city: First of all, a line of cars would be parked at the curb, "which would immediately block any view more than 10' in front of you. " And, you wouldn't be able to see the building across the street, since it would be pushed back thanks to a street with multiple lanes of traffic each way.
Usually the only way we get nice, pedestrian-friendly views when sitting at an outdoor restaurant or cafe -- and not blocked by multiple lanes of parked and driving cars -- is either when overlooking a water view, or in a self-contained manufactured tourist environment like Quincy Market. Look at that photo from Paris at CoolTown Studios, and you realize that even on Boston's Newbury Street, parked and driving cars are still a big part of the streetscape. And at Downtown Crossing, one of the few pedestrian-only spots in the city, outdoor seating is penned off to the side between two anchor stores, not integrated into the main part of the streetscape.
Usually the only way we get nice, pedestrian-friendly views when sitting at an outdoor restaurant or cafe -- and not blocked by multiple lanes of parked and driving cars -- is either when overlooking a water view, or in a self-contained manufactured tourist environment like Quincy Market. Look at that photo from Paris at CoolTown Studios, and you realize that even on Boston's Newbury Street, parked and driving cars are still a big part of the streetscape. And at Downtown Crossing, one of the few pedestrian-only spots in the city, outdoor seating is penned off to the side between two anchor stores, not integrated into the main part of the streetscape.
February 1, 2005
Why Clearing Sidewalks Is Imporant For Safety
"A baby was knocked from her stroller into the middle of the road and her mother was struck twice by an unidentified hit-and-run driver," the MetroWest Daily News reports. The women was forced to leave the sidewalk and go into the road, because she was pushing the stroller and encountered a large pile of snow on the sidewalk.
HELLO PEOPLE! Is the only public safety that matters for people who drive? Are we going to put into our town charters that residents are only entitled to public safety services while inside motorized vehicles? Why can't town officials understand that clearing sidewalks and making safe places to walk is just as imporant as clearing streets and making safe places to drive?
I walked with several colleagues at lunchtime again today on Rte. 30. The sidewalks are not cleared, and pedestrians must either try to climb up, over and down treacherous snow piles, or walk in the street with heavy traffic. Or, of course, stay in their cars.
Shame on us.
HELLO PEOPLE! Is the only public safety that matters for people who drive? Are we going to put into our town charters that residents are only entitled to public safety services while inside motorized vehicles? Why can't town officials understand that clearing sidewalks and making safe places to walk is just as imporant as clearing streets and making safe places to drive?
I walked with several colleagues at lunchtime again today on Rte. 30. The sidewalks are not cleared, and pedestrians must either try to climb up, over and down treacherous snow piles, or walk in the street with heavy traffic. Or, of course, stay in their cars.
Shame on us.
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