Planning for the Future – What Makes a Walkable city
Photo: theurbn.com
Thanks to recently discovering The Urban Times after @GreenGrowthCC got a follow from @theurbantimes I stumbled upon a great article about what constitutes a walkable city.
Why is this a concern for you and me? Because a pedestrian-friendly city is the city of the future.
We have already discussed how walkability can increase real estate values, and even though we still see policies for car/automobile-centric planning, we are seeing the rise of the walkable, urban environment more predominantly.
As our world moves towards sustainability we are beginning to understand that the most sustainable form of transportation is simply using our own two feet.
These are the simplified points of what make a walkable city borrowed from The Washington Post:
- Street blocks are not too big and intersection are not too far apart.
- Streets must be proportioned with ample width for sidewalks, plants, and medians.
- Careful attention to desirable exposure to sky, sunlight, air movement, and other views.
- Planning for good lighting, signage, convenient street furniture, and a beautiful ecological landscape (with trees and vegetation).
- Regular patrolling by public safety or police to ensure a sense of safety.
- Well-marked crosswalks and synchronized traffic-control signals to make walking easy during the day or night.
- Buildings facing the street have lots of windows, entrance doorways, and storefronts (adds to exposure for merchandise being sold, safer/livelier environment, and more delightful feel).
Now when you are walking through your suburban neighborhood or your nearest urban center, check for these signs and see if your community is becoming more friendly to pedestrians, or more friendly to gas-guzzling automobiles.
[Source: The Urban Times]
