Nobody sets out on purpose to design a pedestrian-hostile community. Too often, though, that's what we end up with.
Has anyone stopped to ask why?
Sometimes, it's because local officials don't consider the impact of designs on walkers and cyclists. Other times, they simply don't think it's important.
But in many cases, the concern is commercial. A lot of developers and local officials still believe that anywhere outside a city, people most value "easy-in, easy-out" design. And that's why so many of our malls and housing developments have all the appeal of a drive-through window: We design whatever gets the most cars flowing at maximum efficiency.
It's the myth of convenience.
Why else would anyone design something like Shoppers World in Framingham, where the heart of the development isn't the stores or a pedestrian promenade for window shopping, but a parking lot? It's to make people feel like it's easy to drive in, park quickly, and get to a store.
However, are people truly unwilling to drive round to the back of a building and park? Certainly they'll balk if, say, there's a narrow, dangerous, poorly maintained or unappealing driveway to rear parking. Or if there's an unpleasant feeling once you get out of your car -- Dumpsters in the back, unwelcoming back entrances, a feeling of insecurity, and so on.
But it's possible to create 'round-the-back parking that works.
April 28, 2005
April 26, 2005
Georgetown Visionary Saw Potential In Rundown, Walkable Neighborhood
The New York Times profiles developer Anthony Lanier, who "transformed a group of industrial buildings along a rat-infested alley on the western edge of Georgetown into an elegant cluster of small shops that specialize in high-end furniture and design."
One local real estate broker theorized that perhaps it is Lanier's European background -- he's originally from Vienna -- that allowed him to foresee the "growing popularity of pedestrian-friendly shopping" and the potential of the then run-down area with its historic buildings and narrow, walkable streets.
Lanier's first important anchor tennant for the neighborhood was
Suburbs in MetroWest that continue to stress auto-centric development while ignoring the importance of pedestrian-appealing streetscapes that offer a sense of place, may be doing so at their economic peril. Natick, for example, is betting on expanding an externally unattractive, tired conventional mall, surrounded by an ocean of asphalt with an actively pedestrian-hostile outdoor environment, to woo upscale retailers and shoppers. However, upscale shopping trends are moving in quite another direction.
Update: Here's another example of ambiance as a crucial component to revitalization success: In two Iowa cities, new Centro restaurants offering "a mix of moderately priced food, urban atmosphere and connections to nearby coffee shops, music venues and performances are pulling people downtown," the Des Moines Register reports. "A patio bumps up against the street, giving Centro the feel of a European cafe. ...
"In Centro, many see a business model that has transformed downtown from a place that can sustain a restaurant to the place to go."
Successful ingredients: Appealing outdoor streetscape, critical mass of destinations where you can park once and walk to many, and a place that's attractive to people strolling and sitting outside, not simply driving and parking.
(Thanks to Planetizen for that Des Moines Register link.)
One local real estate broker theorized that perhaps it is Lanier's European background -- he's originally from Vienna -- that allowed him to foresee the "growing popularity of pedestrian-friendly shopping" and the potential of the then run-down area with its historic buildings and narrow, walkable streets.
Lanier's first important anchor tennant for the neighborhood was
Rachel D. Kohler, the president of Kohler Interiors, who was seeking to open the first retail store for Baker, an upscale furniture line.
"We had come upon one sanitized cement box in a mall after another," Ms. Kohler recalled. She found herself drawn to Mr. Lanier's idea of a European-style shopping street, even though the space he showed her was next to a tattoo parlor.
Suburbs in MetroWest that continue to stress auto-centric development while ignoring the importance of pedestrian-appealing streetscapes that offer a sense of place, may be doing so at their economic peril. Natick, for example, is betting on expanding an externally unattractive, tired conventional mall, surrounded by an ocean of asphalt with an actively pedestrian-hostile outdoor environment, to woo upscale retailers and shoppers. However, upscale shopping trends are moving in quite another direction.
Update: Here's another example of ambiance as a crucial component to revitalization success: In two Iowa cities, new Centro restaurants offering "a mix of moderately priced food, urban atmosphere and connections to nearby coffee shops, music venues and performances are pulling people downtown," the Des Moines Register reports. "A patio bumps up against the street, giving Centro the feel of a European cafe. ...
"In Centro, many see a business model that has transformed downtown from a place that can sustain a restaurant to the place to go."
Successful ingredients: Appealing outdoor streetscape, critical mass of destinations where you can park once and walk to many, and a place that's attractive to people strolling and sitting outside, not simply driving and parking.
(Thanks to Planetizen for that Des Moines Register link.)
April 25, 2005
Citizen Group Wins Wider Sidewalks, Narrower Residential Streets
A Columbia, Mo. grass-roots organization called the PedNet Coalition has 4,600 members -- and success in creating walking/biking trails as well as more pedestrian-friendly planning regulations, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. PedNet received a $200,000 grant and technical assistance from Active Living By Design. The program shows results.
It's not just about having sidewalks -- although that's important. It's about having sidewalks in an environment that makes it likely people will want to walk. And it's about having roads that are feasible to cross on foot without the frightening feeling that you are literally putting your life in jeopardy, such as when crossing Rte. 30 or Rte. 9 in Framingham. Once again, that doesn't mean getting rid of cars. It means designing for pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars.
Last year, residential street standards, in large part because of PedNet’s lobbying, were changed to require narrower roads and wider sidewalks. The idea is to slow traffic and make areas more pedestrian- and wheelchair-friendly.
It's not just about having sidewalks -- although that's important. It's about having sidewalks in an environment that makes it likely people will want to walk. And it's about having roads that are feasible to cross on foot without the frightening feeling that you are literally putting your life in jeopardy, such as when crossing Rte. 30 or Rte. 9 in Framingham. Once again, that doesn't mean getting rid of cars. It means designing for pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars.
April 24, 2005
‘Just A Walk From Home To Shopping’: Cincinnati Suburbs Embrace New Urbanism
"New Urbanism" isn't just for urban areas. In fact, it's not really "new" at all; and in many cases, it's not really "urban" in the classic sense.
Instead, it's all about going back to traditional town and village living, before the disastrous ideas of the past few decades that designed ONLY for the car. New Urbanism isn't about getting rid of cars; it's about having a balance, so it's attractive to either walk OR drive (or take public transit when available).
In one Cincinnati suburb, "scores of people [are] lining up to live in a planned new community called The Village at the Streets, across a creek from [a] shopping-entertainment complex," the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
"Everything is there. I literally can throw a stone from where I work to there. I can walk to a restaurant, or a movie, or to shop," Francesca Trego, who plans to purchase a townhouse there, told the Enquirer.
"The Village at the Streets is one of the latest trends in Greater Cincinnati suburban development, 'mixed use' that combines residential areas with places to shop, eat, and even work within walking distance in a neighborhood setting," the article notes. A number of other such projects are planned in the region.
Instead, it's all about going back to traditional town and village living, before the disastrous ideas of the past few decades that designed ONLY for the car. New Urbanism isn't about getting rid of cars; it's about having a balance, so it's attractive to either walk OR drive (or take public transit when available).
In one Cincinnati suburb, "scores of people [are] lining up to live in a planned new community called The Village at the Streets, across a creek from [a] shopping-entertainment complex," the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The community, with groundbreaking targeted for this summer, will combine townhomes and condominiums with a coffee shop and other retail and commercial properties in a plan that includes walking bridges, sidewalks and paths. Its Italianate style of architecture, and village square, awnings and gaslight lamps, suggests a European town.
And it will offer a respite from jumping into the car for traffic-weary suburbanites.
"Everything is there. I literally can throw a stone from where I work to there. I can walk to a restaurant, or a movie, or to shop," Francesca Trego, who plans to purchase a townhouse there, told the Enquirer.
"The Village at the Streets is one of the latest trends in Greater Cincinnati suburban development, 'mixed use' that combines residential areas with places to shop, eat, and even work within walking distance in a neighborhood setting," the article notes. A number of other such projects are planned in the region.
April 23, 2005
Nine Mass. ‘Smart Growth’ Communities Honored
It must be nice to do planning in a community where a few vocal downtown-area Town Meeting members aren't perpetually battling with the rest of the town.
Interesting list. Marlboro, Newburyport and Salem all have fewer people than Framingham, but have adopted a city form of government. This certainly seems to give more ammunition to those who argue that a Town Meeting form of government makes it more difficult to do community-wide planning initiatives in a place the size of Framingham.
Marlboro was recognized for efforts such as a major study on downtown and neighborhood redevelopment (note to Framingham: they're paying attention to investments in both their downtown AND other areas of the community, quite unlike Town Meeting here, where a minority of members successfully blocked what would have been a fabulous investment in Saxonville, in part because they felt it threatened downtown), zoning to allow denser development downtown, affordable housing efforts and work with neighboring towns "to develop a greenbelt of protected open space around the city to provide a buffer to sprawl and preserve natural resources," according to the MetroWest Daily News.
"The neighborhood plan and the open space plans have advanced Smart Growth Principles by encouraging the redevelopment of the core of Marlborough and preserving outlying open space that will result in the halting of sprawl on the city's edges," city officials wrote in their award entry.
If someone dared to say that in Framingham, I suspect they'd simply be accused of dumping more development on the South Side while giving all the open space and parks to the North Side. And unfortunately, some of the people who only care about their own neighborhood, not the town as a whole -- or think "the town as a whole" actually means only downtown -- have voting power over how all of our tax dollars are spent.
The Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development named nine communities winners of its "Smart Growth Innovation" award: Salem, Easthampton, Lawrence, Marlboro, Newburyport, Newbury and Brockton. Cambridge and Montague received honorable mention.
Those communities are "revitalizing downtowns, preserving open space and bringing back village-style zoning," according to OCD Secretary Douglas Foy.
Interesting list. Marlboro, Newburyport and Salem all have fewer people than Framingham, but have adopted a city form of government. This certainly seems to give more ammunition to those who argue that a Town Meeting form of government makes it more difficult to do community-wide planning initiatives in a place the size of Framingham.
Marlboro was recognized for efforts such as a major study on downtown and neighborhood redevelopment (note to Framingham: they're paying attention to investments in both their downtown AND other areas of the community, quite unlike Town Meeting here, where a minority of members successfully blocked what would have been a fabulous investment in Saxonville, in part because they felt it threatened downtown), zoning to allow denser development downtown, affordable housing efforts and work with neighboring towns "to develop a greenbelt of protected open space around the city to provide a buffer to sprawl and preserve natural resources," according to the MetroWest Daily News.
"The neighborhood plan and the open space plans have advanced Smart Growth Principles by encouraging the redevelopment of the core of Marlborough and preserving outlying open space that will result in the halting of sprawl on the city's edges," city officials wrote in their award entry.
If someone dared to say that in Framingham, I suspect they'd simply be accused of dumping more development on the South Side while giving all the open space and parks to the North Side. And unfortunately, some of the people who only care about their own neighborhood, not the town as a whole -- or think "the town as a whole" actually means only downtown -- have voting power over how all of our tax dollars are spent.
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