Surveys show Americans want more walkable cities(governing.com)
governing.com
Surveys show Americans want more walkable cities
https://www.governing.com/community/vehicles-still-firmly-in-control-of-city-streets
356 comments
Sometimes I think Americans don’t know how badly they want this.
Americans will tell you how wonderful European cities are with their small streets and their public squares filled with great restaurants. They think we don’t have cities like that because we’re lacking some fundamental European-ness.
No. We just put cars everywhere. Cars ruin everything. Now you have wider streets. Louder streets. More dangerous streets. Far less foot traffic which means very low chances of discovering a new favorite place. You have lower business density which totally changes the economics of an entire neighborhood. Etc.
In this and so many other things Americans say they want what they see elsewhere but are uninterested in doing anything about it.
Americans will tell you how wonderful European cities are with their small streets and their public squares filled with great restaurants. They think we don’t have cities like that because we’re lacking some fundamental European-ness.
No. We just put cars everywhere. Cars ruin everything. Now you have wider streets. Louder streets. More dangerous streets. Far less foot traffic which means very low chances of discovering a new favorite place. You have lower business density which totally changes the economics of an entire neighborhood. Etc.
In this and so many other things Americans say they want what they see elsewhere but are uninterested in doing anything about it.
I like my car and I like driving.
That said, I don't like driving _everywhere_. When I moved to university, it was incredibly freeing to just be able to walk somewhere I wanted to go rather than getting in my car and driving miles to get anywhere. I grew up in a suburb in Texas so walking anywhere except _maybe_ a friend's house was entirely out of the question.
I visited Portland recently and it was lovely to be able to get around the whole city without a car. We didn't rent one, save for one day when we went > 100mi out of the city. No Ubers, no Lyfts- just walking, buses, and lightrail.
Just my experience as an American.
That said, I don't like driving _everywhere_. When I moved to university, it was incredibly freeing to just be able to walk somewhere I wanted to go rather than getting in my car and driving miles to get anywhere. I grew up in a suburb in Texas so walking anywhere except _maybe_ a friend's house was entirely out of the question.
I visited Portland recently and it was lovely to be able to get around the whole city without a car. We didn't rent one, save for one day when we went > 100mi out of the city. No Ubers, no Lyfts- just walking, buses, and lightrail.
Just my experience as an American.
No, they don’t.
This is a classic example of listening to what people say vs observing what they do. And it’s a good lesson in product development. Ask your users “do you want X?” And the answer is inevitably “yes”. Ask them “do you want A or B?” And you’ll start to get a better approximation of user behavior. Better yet is observing actual behavior.
In this case Americans have chosen the suburbs in droves.
Americans want walkable areas in close proximity to the exact kind of house they live in now with all that entails: large single family house on a large lot with their 2+ cars.
People would don’t love in the US may not realize just how large the lots are most Americans live on. In Australian cities a quarter acre block was once the dream. More typical now is half that.
You will find areas in Atlanta where the lot size is one or even two acres.
It’s only the older typically East Coast cities that have anything remotely approaching the density you might see in Europe.
This is a classic example of listening to what people say vs observing what they do. And it’s a good lesson in product development. Ask your users “do you want X?” And the answer is inevitably “yes”. Ask them “do you want A or B?” And you’ll start to get a better approximation of user behavior. Better yet is observing actual behavior.
In this case Americans have chosen the suburbs in droves.
Americans want walkable areas in close proximity to the exact kind of house they live in now with all that entails: large single family house on a large lot with their 2+ cars.
People would don’t love in the US may not realize just how large the lots are most Americans live on. In Australian cities a quarter acre block was once the dream. More typical now is half that.
You will find areas in Atlanta where the lot size is one or even two acres.
It’s only the older typically East Coast cities that have anything remotely approaching the density you might see in Europe.
On one of my relatively few visits to America, from my hotel room I could see the zoo less than half a mile away. In reception I asked the best route to walk there. There was a stunned silence and outright puzzlement, as if I had asked what trains I needed to catch to get to Patagonia[1]. No one was even certain it was possible.
In the end I worked it out OK, only having to wait at a level crossing for a seemingly infinitely long freight train to pass. The zoo had more food outlets than animals, but that's another story.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Patagonian_Express (recommended)
In the end I worked it out OK, only having to wait at a level crossing for a seemingly infinitely long freight train to pass. The zoo had more food outlets than animals, but that's another story.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Patagonian_Express (recommended)
I recently moved from a house in the suburbs in Australia to an apartment in the city. Got rid of my car and now I just walk to everything I need. I couldn’t be happier. Driving was such a huge stress on my life that is now gone. I can get anything I need within a 10 minute walk.
The thing is it just doesn’t seem like the average person is willing to give up single family houses to gain walkability. For me, I would never go back.
The thing is it just doesn’t seem like the average person is willing to give up single family houses to gain walkability. For me, I would never go back.
I want to live in a walkable streetcar suburb:
* Reasonably sized (2-3k soft) lots
* Homes built with a variety of beautiful architecture
* Area is not overbuilt to the point where all greenery and sunlight are gone and replaced by large buildings
* alleys behind the lot, with garages hidden, to keep a single car (which is still really necessary in modern life)
* small, thin, tree-lined streets
* within walking distance to locally-owned bakery, a grocery store, coffee shop, public transit, etc.
The problem with living in these desirable, walkable, neighborhoods is that once they're built up enough, there is intense lobby to fill the the area with higher density housing because of the critical mass of services available.
Of course, that's necessary, but buying in these areas put you at big risk of having to move away if you don't like massive density increases, whereas buying in a suburb protects you from that change.
* Reasonably sized (2-3k soft) lots
* Homes built with a variety of beautiful architecture
* Area is not overbuilt to the point where all greenery and sunlight are gone and replaced by large buildings
* alleys behind the lot, with garages hidden, to keep a single car (which is still really necessary in modern life)
* small, thin, tree-lined streets
* within walking distance to locally-owned bakery, a grocery store, coffee shop, public transit, etc.
The problem with living in these desirable, walkable, neighborhoods is that once they're built up enough, there is intense lobby to fill the the area with higher density housing because of the critical mass of services available.
Of course, that's necessary, but buying in these areas put you at big risk of having to move away if you don't like massive density increases, whereas buying in a suburb protects you from that change.
If you want more walkable cities you have to stop subsidizing the suburban sprawl that has been paid for with debt spending. The infrastructure that is falling apart around us is happening because its unsustainable, and if we just print 1T dollars every few years to kick the can down the road all you do is create a bigger problem to be solved in 20 years.
I've been to a few cities in the US (I'm a foreigner), like Denver and Atlanta, and they are very pedestrian hostile. Almost no sidewalks, every street looks like a roadway (large) and every shop seems to belong to these islands where you can park your car and do your stuff. Not saying this is good or bad, but it's very different from every other country that I've came across. An exception in the US would be Las Vegas.
I think one of the things we need to do is actively work at decoupling parking from specific buildings. We currently require x number of parking spaces per residential unit or per commercial venue and it helps keep us trapped in a situation where you need a car to make your life work.
We need to find ways to accommodate parking in a way that helps us be flexible and let's people who prefer cars keep them without making them a privileged class pushing out all other options.
We don't really talk about that. We talk in an either/or fashion rather than talking about how to make it genuinely optional and a personal choice. We expect everyone to get on the same page and agree rather than working on saying "We don't really need this much parking. The parking lots are never full. Let's scale back the parking and make it shared somehow so there's enough parking, not too much parking and it no longer strangles mixed use, walkable development."
We need to find ways to accommodate parking in a way that helps us be flexible and let's people who prefer cars keep them without making them a privileged class pushing out all other options.
We don't really talk about that. We talk in an either/or fashion rather than talking about how to make it genuinely optional and a personal choice. We expect everyone to get on the same page and agree rather than working on saying "We don't really need this much parking. The parking lots are never full. Let's scale back the parking and make it shared somehow so there's enough parking, not too much parking and it no longer strangles mixed use, walkable development."
Has anyone done a recent survey of how many people want more free parking spots? More traffic lanes? More bridges and tunnels for cars? Do people want higher or lower speed limits? Cheaper or more expensive gas for cars? More or fewer lanes dedicated to busses/bikes? We should not jump to conculsions about what people want before asking all relevant questions.
Everyone wants more walkable cities. Thats like asking if people want cleaner water or better hospitals. Such questions are meaningless on thier own.
Everyone wants more walkable cities. Thats like asking if people want cleaner water or better hospitals. Such questions are meaningless on thier own.
My belief is that Americans want walkable cities except they fundamentally hate other people. Not personally, just existentially. Other people take stuff that the average American wants - a parking spot next to the door, getting a coffee right away, being seated instantly in a restaurant. Or simply having to see people they dislike.
So the drive, which means they have to see even fewer people.
So the drive, which means they have to see even fewer people.
To make cities more walkable, changing driver behavior needs to be a significant focus.
Minneapolis consistently ranks as one of the better cities for pedestrians, but even here the drivers here are really aggressive towards pedestrians to the point that some don't even care if you're pushing a stroller. Bike lanes, trails, and enhanced crosswalks are great, but they can't protect you from drivers that ignore traffic laws and drive dangerously.
The city knows it has a problem. This picture taken today is of a sign posted on one of the main bridges into downtown:
https://imgur.com/gallery/NsLGfk4
Minneapolis consistently ranks as one of the better cities for pedestrians, but even here the drivers here are really aggressive towards pedestrians to the point that some don't even care if you're pushing a stroller. Bike lanes, trails, and enhanced crosswalks are great, but they can't protect you from drivers that ignore traffic laws and drive dangerously.
The city knows it has a problem. This picture taken today is of a sign posted on one of the main bridges into downtown:
https://imgur.com/gallery/NsLGfk4
It's absolute pie in the sky to think Americans will give up their cars. Walkability is great for a sunny Saturday morning farmers market. But that's not going to move the needle on carbon in any significant way. Living in a "walkable" neighborhood with two cars in the driveway is like recycling. It makes us feel like we're doing something meaningful to rationalize all the junk we buy on Amazon.
But one car per household would make a significant difference. It's not just carbon emissions. It's also the energy required to manufacture and ship the second car. You can still drive anywhere, anytime but one car forces you to coordinate and make choices. Gotta start somewhere.
But one car per household would make a significant difference. It's not just carbon emissions. It's also the energy required to manufacture and ship the second car. You can still drive anywhere, anytime but one car forces you to coordinate and make choices. Gotta start somewhere.
People say this until you explain the details. Sure they want walkability, but density? "I don't want to live in some awful human hive". Parking? "why would I go anywhere where I have to pay for parking?"
Walkability flows from density, And NIMBYism has killed that.
Walkability flows from density, And NIMBYism has killed that.
Walkable cities or walkable towns?
The cities are losing population and this started before Covid. Now, with working from home possibilities, it has been revealed, in NYC at least, that many people only were living here to be close to work. It's evident from the house sales behavior in more suburban and rural areas, and while things are coming back, it seems to be skewing towards a younger demographic and 'new people' rather than people-who-had-left. Moreover, a lot of people are downgrading apartments and buying weekend homes with fresh air and birds in trees.
Let's forget cities for a second. A lot of American towns could be a little more pedestrian friendly. They should copy European cities like France and Netherlands and Germany, where even smaller towns have public transport that doesn't suck, safe sidewalks with safe crosswalks, and separate bike lanes.
Instead we have roads with people's driveways, commercial stuff, people walking, all intermixed making traffic slow and dangerous.
The evidence that Americans want more walkable towns is in the fact that these towns are so much more expensive and often populated by white collar professionals who can afford them.
The cities are losing population and this started before Covid. Now, with working from home possibilities, it has been revealed, in NYC at least, that many people only were living here to be close to work. It's evident from the house sales behavior in more suburban and rural areas, and while things are coming back, it seems to be skewing towards a younger demographic and 'new people' rather than people-who-had-left. Moreover, a lot of people are downgrading apartments and buying weekend homes with fresh air and birds in trees.
Let's forget cities for a second. A lot of American towns could be a little more pedestrian friendly. They should copy European cities like France and Netherlands and Germany, where even smaller towns have public transport that doesn't suck, safe sidewalks with safe crosswalks, and separate bike lanes.
Instead we have roads with people's driveways, commercial stuff, people walking, all intermixed making traffic slow and dangerous.
The evidence that Americans want more walkable towns is in the fact that these towns are so much more expensive and often populated by white collar professionals who can afford them.
There are ~1.2 billion cars globally. Expected to grow to ~1.8b by 2050? About the time many carbon zero targets are supposed to be achieved.
And yet. Any proposal that a tiny fraction of all the cheddar supporting automobiles be repurposed for nefarious questionable uses, like maybe add a few bike lanes, triggers a violent reaction accompanied by charges of being an anti-car jihadist.
And yet. Any proposal that a tiny fraction of all the cheddar supporting automobiles be repurposed for nefarious questionable uses, like maybe add a few bike lanes, triggers a violent reaction accompanied by charges of being an anti-car jihadist.
I think the inside of a downtown should only have one way streets and parking on the side, and have big centers with plaza like things.
Then you mostly drive on the outside until you’re parking.
I hate how the roads are in our downtowns ever since visiting Italy and seeing these huge plazas all over in the cities.
I hate how the roads are in our downtowns ever since visiting Italy and seeing these huge plazas all over in the cities.
A family member landed a job about 17 odd years ago in Plano, TX (EDS).
The family across the road drove over to say hi.
The family across the road drove over to say hi.
How many are willing to give up a detached house for it though?
How many are willing to deal with shortsighted neighbours who refuse to fix their condo building?
I’m someone who nominally wants walkable neighbourhoods, but as soon as it requires compromising those two, I’m out.
How many are willing to deal with shortsighted neighbours who refuse to fix their condo building?
I’m someone who nominally wants walkable neighbourhoods, but as soon as it requires compromising those two, I’m out.
One point that seems to be missing from this discussion is climate.
Walkable cities: NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Seattle
Urban hellscapes: LA, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix
Simple explanation -- people don't want to walk around in the heat.
Walkable cities: NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Seattle
Urban hellscapes: LA, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix
Simple explanation -- people don't want to walk around in the heat.
I wouldn't mind more walkable if it didn't come at the cost of being around many more people.
Every walkable city I've been to is either filthy, cramped, loud, over run, and/or very very expensive. I don't want to live so close to people to hear them, smell them, or be bothered by them or their pets.
Every walkable city I've been to is either filthy, cramped, loud, over run, and/or very very expensive. I don't want to live so close to people to hear them, smell them, or be bothered by them or their pets.
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Back in 2020 I moved to São Paulo to start a new job, fresh out of college. I knew the biggest problem people that live there face is the commute, so I was smart about it. I rented a place 30 minutes walking from the job and bought a electric scooter. My day started at 10, so I could wake up at 9, walk or ride the scooter to work (São Paulo have some great bike lanes). On raining days I would call an Uber. Back in the day they would offer a "shared" ride, where the driver would pick up anyone in their routes. It was extra cheap, sometimes less then a dollar to go from work to home. Then, everything changed when the Covid attacked
I’d love to see mega blocks:
Specifically, make a mega mall underground (with parking under that), with a single 10 story building above for office space (open offices already don’t really have windows). You can build the building to have gaps where the roads should be, but more like tunnels. Then another 10-15 huge 50-80 story towers above the office space. Between the towers on the “roof” of the office space, a giant park with bike lanes and scooters.
It’s a mall (with everything you need), an office, parking spots, a park and “a neighborhood”.
I also think North America needs more apartments that are 3000-4000 sqft (4 bedroom 6 bathroom multi-story condos).
Specifically, make a mega mall underground (with parking under that), with a single 10 story building above for office space (open offices already don’t really have windows). You can build the building to have gaps where the roads should be, but more like tunnels. Then another 10-15 huge 50-80 story towers above the office space. Between the towers on the “roof” of the office space, a giant park with bike lanes and scooters.
It’s a mall (with everything you need), an office, parking spots, a park and “a neighborhood”.
I also think North America needs more apartments that are 3000-4000 sqft (4 bedroom 6 bathroom multi-story condos).
I'm happy to hear this statistic, but American cities need to change so much to make it happen - mainly removing cars as other commenters pointed out. A good start would be making public transportation more available through buses and trains, followed by limiting cars in already more walkable areas of the city.
Not Just Bikes is a great YouTube channel that explores city planning and often compares American cities to cities in the Netherlands. He has a video on Strong Towns as well.
https://youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes
Not Just Bikes is a great YouTube channel that explores city planning and often compares American cities to cities in the Netherlands. He has a video on Strong Towns as well.
https://youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes
Now ask them if they'd rather have walkable cities and condos or detached homes and cars. I think you'll find the conflict rather quickly.
I want more bikeable cities.
I live in England. Our cities are walkable, but they are often a nightmare to commute to by car (and bus, train, even though this is getting better).
What I think would work in American suburbs is light rail/tram systems. They aren't as popular in England, but are very popular in Germany. As a tourist, they made getting around very easy, even without a car.
What I think would work in American suburbs is light rail/tram systems. They aren't as popular in England, but are very popular in Germany. As a tourist, they made getting around very easy, even without a car.
Honestly this stuff is part of what makes me want to move to Shanghai, or another city in east Asia at some point in my life. The public transport there was just incredible - super efficient, super clean, extremely accessible. I'm in tech though, so probably stuck to the bay area :/
On the bright side, the pandemic seems have enabled many cities to finally reclaim some of that car land for use by people. Though it's not clear how long that will last.