Three Rules to Create a Walkable Neighborhood

I saw this post from The Better Block on my daily newspaper, The Walkable Times (subscribe if you don't already).  David Sucher, the author of City Comforts (order the book here), includes a chapter in his book in which he provides three simple rules for building a walkable neighborhood.  They include:

1.  Build to the sidewalk.  We've seen this approach incorporated into recent developments here in Atlanta, and the effect is profound on the feel of the area from the pedestrian standpoint.  For example, in Buckhead the recently constructed buildings have been built to the sidewalk (required by the City), as opposed to the '80s and '90s era developments which are set back from the sidewalk, resulting in a "dead zone" between sidewalk and building.  The difference is obvious.

2.  Make the building front permeable.  Basically, this means don't build blank walls along sidewalks which damage the pedestrian experience.  This seems like common sense, but unfortunately, it happens.  Just a little thought put into the pedestrian experience while planning will easily alleviate this.

3.  Prohibit parking lots in front of the building.  Again, this is a no-brainer but is often violated.  The old suburban retail concept of a large sea of black asphalt in front of a power center does not work for the pedestrian.  Parking behind buildings can be, and is, successful.  The GIF in the article which demonstrates the difference is pretty cool.

You can read the chapter from David's book here.  I hope more planning departments and developers take his three concepts to heart.

Atlanta Snowjam 2014 – A Failure of the Built Environment

The Atlanta area mess that has become known on social media as snowjam, snowpacolypse, snowmaggeddon and many others has been awful for any of us that have had to live through this nightmare.  For those unaware, yesterday, January 28, 2014, a snow storm of biblical proportions for Atlanta (all of two inches) hit the metro Atlanta area just after noon.  The city and state – which had proclaimed their readiness following the 2011 snow/ice storm that shut the city of Atlanta down for one week – failed to close schools in anticipation of the storm and failed to adequately prepare roads for the snow.  Despite the widespread forecasts of at least one to two inches of snow in the Atlanta area starting around noon, schools were not closed and major arterial roads were seemingly not salted or sanded.   Yet once it become obvious that the snow was coming down hard and sticking to the ground, a mass exodus of people from office buildings and schools began.  And thus began the snowjam.

Atlanta is essentially a regional of linked subdivisions.  There are the downtown and midtown areas which have grid systems, and the MARTA rail system runs north-south and east west but has severe limitations, but otherwise metropolitan Atlanta is one giant suburb.  It is a collection of suburbs linked by several key arterial roads, highways and interstates.  There is no road grid system, even in dense areas like Buckhead.  Atlanta has been built around the car almost exclusively.  The built environment here not only favors the car, but the car dominates the built environment.  And the built environment has failed us as the snowjam clearly indicates.

Unfortunate Atlanta motorists who were stuck in their single passenger vehicles for 6, 8, 12 even 24 hours had no other alternative.  Arterial roads and interstates iced up, and the arteries clogged all around town.  People abandoned vehicles on interstates, slept in retail stores that opened to stranded motorists or bunked at the homes of friends, neighbors or even strangers.  Those that only had a few miles to travel were forced into a death march as the only way to their destinations required a trip on those tremendously clogged arteries.  

While the city, state, Georgia Department of Transportation, local school systems and other governmental officials exacerbated this situation by their lack of planning, ultimately the built environment is to blame.  City planners and developers have simply failed us over the last 50+ years, and the snowjam is the ultimate, terrible result of this failure.  Without a grid system of at least some sort which would provide alternate paths to any destination, drivers are forced onto the same arterial roads in which everyone else is attempting to traverse.  The grid system would at least allow many roadways going in the same or similar directions.  The grid would also allow for those that choose to walk all or part of their destinations to do so much more easily.  And this is without even mentioning the glaring lack of an adequate transit system in Atlanta which was an obvious factor in this disaster.  

We have been failed, and this failure exists not just in Atlanta but throughout the country.  A reliance on a few arterial roads is simply a failure of proper planning.  Moreover, the interstate system was not originally designed to move traffic intra-city but instead to move traffic throughout the country.  Atlanta and many other large metropolitan areas, especially those in the sunbelt and the west, will continue to face situations like this if we do not make major changes to the built environment in which we live.  This is a wake-up call.  

Now Walkability Equates to Status

I've been making the argument for a long time that walkable communities are more valuable, see more pricing increases, hold value during economic downturns, etc. than drivable, suburban areas.  Now the NYT states that living in walkable communities can show your socioeconomic status.  Of course, this is a Chris Leinberger op-ed based upon his recent Brookings Institution study, so its not as if the NYT itself is making this claim.  But, its nice to see in those pages.

Do we really need a 35 member transit governance board?

The AJC provides a nice editorial today arguing against the State of Georgia's proposed transit governance board which seemingly provides nothing but a huge bureaucratic nightmare.  The State fails to support MARTA, resulting in that organization's financial challenges.  Apparently many in the Gold Dome do not believe that the Atlanta region can govern its own transit system as a result of the challenges imposed by the State on MARTA.  Yes, we need a regional body to ensure that the proposed increased transit and transportation system operates as a regional system, not a confederacy of disjointed local systems.  But do we really need that much bureaucracy?

Revised DC zoning has a retro look

I'm happy to hear about the proposed changes to the D.C. zoning code that look more like developments prior to WWII.  I particularly like the relaxed restrictions on commercial development in residential areas, allowing for the "corner store" to make a comeback.  It is a shame that most of the country has lost the ability to walk to a store WITHIN the neighborhood, rather than having to drive to any commercial area.  I'm sure there will be significant opposition to this provision, but hopefully the relaxed restriction proponents will prevail.  Now if we could just bring back the corner neighborhood bar....

No surprise -- Florida most dangerous for pedestrians

Four Florida cities -- Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami -- rated the "Top 4" worst cities for pedestrians. The study by Transportation for America listed the 52 worst metropolitan areas for pedestrian safety, creating a "Pedestrian Danger Index" based upon pedestrian deaths and the percentage of the population that walks to work.  As Florida has boomed during the automobile era, these rankings should not surprise.

Atlanta ranks 11th on the list, which is also not much of a surprise.  Fortunately, Atlanta and its surrounding communities have realized the problem posed by our car-based infrastructure and culture and are taking steps to change our car-dependent ways.  Yesterday a committee of mayors and council members from across the Atlanta region voted unanimously to approve a $6.14 billion list of transportation projects, many of which are for transit projects rather than new roadways.  This is a first step in a long process that will include a voter referendum to raise a 1% sales tax to fund the regional projects, and the list is likely to ultimately change.

However, yesterday's meeting is important in two respects.  First, the Atlanta area has finally realized that the solution to its transportation problems lies in a regional effort with a regional transportation plan.  Yes, some giving and taking will occur, as it did yesterday.  And yes, some projects will not be built in favor of others.  But a comprehensive, regional plan is the only way to ensure that the Atlanta area's transportation network is viewed as a whole rather than on the typical ad-hoc basis it has been handled in the past.

Second, the fact that just slightly more than half of the projects approved yesterday were transit related is a big step, both for Atlanta and the region as a whole.  There are still detractors, but counties outside Fulton and Dekalb seem to have come to the realization that transit is necessary for long-term growth.  Even Cobb County, long a vocal opponent to MARTA's expansion into the county, now actually WANTS transit.

Much work is needed, and the voter approval of a sales tax to fund infrastructure, much of which is in Atlanta, may be a difficult sell.  But yesterday's compromise is a very positive sign.  Hopefully the leaders of the region can continue to work together to craft a vision and a future for transit in Atlanta that will rival those of transit leading cities worldwide.

Is Walkability Reaching a Tipping Point?

Am I premature, or does it appear that the desire for dense, urban, walkable communities is reaching a tipping point of sorts?  It appears that there are more quality developments planned or being delivered which take the pedestrian and transit into consideration.  It also appears that more press is being devoted to these urban infill projects, further adding to the walkable cause.

In recent weeks, several studies have shown the additional benefits of living and working in dense, walkable communities.  The results of these studies are not surprising to those of us who have advocated for such development for years.  But, the benefits are starting to be discussed in the mainstream.  From having positive financial benefits to trusting one's neighbors more and participating in civic activities more often, studies are showing attributes of walkable, urban lifestyles other than the typical benefits of reduced pollution and gas use.

Even in Atlanta, long a car-centric city, we are seeing recent developments along this line.  The Beltline continues to develop, with a new park opening this weekend.  Recent announcements to develop areas of midtown with dense, walkable projects continue to come, with an announcement today for a new building by Selig and Daniel at its 12th & Midtown project.  These dense, walkable projects are increasing becoming the de facto new development projects in Atlanta and throughout the country.

Could it be that we are starting to see a tipping point here?

Observational Urbanism

There is a great opinion piece in the New Urban News I just received by Robert Steuteville (not yet available online apparently). In it, Steuteville makes the case that Jane Jacobs and new urbanists such as Andres Duany share what he describes as "observational urbanism," meaning an observing and measuring in detail of the surrounding community in order to provide clues to continued development. Jacobs keenly observed her Greenwich Village neighborhood and the ballet that was urban life in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk observed the small cities and towns, structures, houses, streets and neighborhoods of the Gulf south that appealed to them prior to planning Seaside.

Much can be determined by practicing observational urbanism. Parts of my neighborhood in the Buckhead section of Atlanta were built prior to World War II and parts after the war. With my non-planner background even I can determine which parts of the neighborhood work well from an urbanist perspective, and which don't work quite as well. The area built prior to the war has sidewalks, short setbacks, narrow lots, few garages and a close proximity to the commercial areas on Peachtree and Piedmont. The parts of the neighborhood built after World War II have no sidewalks, much deeper setbacks with wider lots, primarily one-car garages and are more difficult to walk (although the neighborhood is still very walkable by Atlanta standards, and I live in the "newer" area).

There are cues and patterns in all areas for what works now and has worked well and what has not. We don't have to reinvent the wheel or copy blindly from other areas to make urbanism that works everywhere.

The American Dream is Dead

The “American Dream” as we have known it for decades is dead. The stable job, the house in the suburbs, the white picket fence, the two car garage with 2.5 kids – that dream is gone, maybe never to be seen again.

A combination of the recession, the housing bust, years of continued sprawl, high gas prices, an uncertain job market and the ever-changing demographics of the United States have changed our collective priorities. The “American Dream” of the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and even ‘90s has died, replaced with a “New American Dream.”

The New American Dream centers around ideals, not material possessions. Americans have realized that happiness and personal fulfillment come not from a house in the suburbs with a certain number of cars and a dollar amount in the bank account. Instead, happiness comes from the ability to chart one’s own course – to lead lives as we wish to lead them, to do the things we wish to do and to express ourselves and our personalities as we wish.

In a way, the New American Dream is a return to the original ideals of America. The New American Dream marks a return to the individualism which shaped this country in its early years. Yet it is firmly rooted in the 21^st century with its emphasis on social networking and its epicenter in vibrant, urban communities.

The American dream is dead. Long live the American dream.

It's Been a While

It has been almost one year since my last post on this blog. While I have been negligent in my blog posting duties, I have not given up on walkability -- in Atlanta or elsewhere. In fact, I bought a commuter bike about a month ago, often riding it the ~0.8 miles from my house to my office on days when I don't walk.

I'll be back with more posts. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter @scottcullen72.

Thanks as always for reading.

Bike-Ped Paths Across Major Bridges and Charleston's Cooper River Bridge

There is a story today in Streetsblog regarding the Ohio DOT's reluctance to build a bike/pedestrian path over the replacement of Cleveland's I-90 Innerbelt Bridge for reasons which, well, aren't really reasons at all, it appears. Having spent last weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, I've seen the tremendous use that such a well-designed and well-constructed path can bring.

Charleston's Cooper River Bridge, the longest cable-stay bridge in North America, includes a wide bike and pedestrian path along the eastbound lane. While not an interstate, the bridge is many vehicle lanes wide and is a major artery in the Charleston area, linking the Charleston peninsula with neighboring Mount Pleasant, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms and eventually leading up to Myrtle Beach. While driving from Charleston over to Sullivan's and Isle of Palms to head to the beach several times last weekend, we noticed the large number of bikers, walkers and runners traversing the bridge, even on days in which the temperature reached 100 degrees. And the bridge is not exactly an easy bike or run, with the bride rising to 575 feet above the Cooper River, from essentially sea level on either side (I know, having run the Cooper River Bridge Run last year which starts in Mount Pleasant, crosses the bridge and ends in downtown Charleston).

These types of paths are not only great amenities to the community, but can actually serve as alternative means of transportation. Apparently the Ohio DOT doesn't get it.

Feds announce $293MM for new transit projects

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today a list of 53 projects nationwide that will receive federal funding for new streetcar and bus facilities. The projects include 6 "Urban Circulator" streetcar projects in Dallas, Fort Worth, Chicago, Cincinnati, Charlotte and St. Louis. Unfortunately, Atlanta's planned streetcar project was not on the list. An additional 47 projects will receive funding for bus facilities and bus-related services. These grants are not related to the TIGER grants awarded in February.

While this announcement is certainly a step in the right direction, $293 million is a drop in the bucket of the overall transportation allocations. As demand for such funding was apparently very high, though, hopefully the administration and Congress will see the need for a much larger allocation of transportation dollars to be allocated to quality, needed transit projects.

Rail & Streetcars Win Stimulus Bucks

The Administration announced today the winners of the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, the $1.5 billion stimulus grant project aimed to send federal dollars directly to specific transportation projects and municipalities rather than diverted through the states. Freight rail projects won the largest sums, with large projects in Chicago and in Tennessee/Alabama securing the biggest grants. Streetcar projects in New Orleans, Tuscon and Dallas also won large grants. Unfortunately for us here in Atlanta, the proposed Peachtree Streetcar project failed to make the list.

The list is a mixed bag of wins and losses for smart growth. The streetcar projects, of course, are positives, and improving existing rail corridors is also beneficial to our transportation network. But some of these projects -- the toll highway through Irving and Grand Prairie, TX, for example -- appear to do nothing to promote the types of projects that the Administration seems to want to support. Overall, this is a step in the right direction, but much, much more is needed to promote smart growth and walkable, non-car-dependent cities.

Study shows that walkability adds value to homes

A recent study commissioned by CEOs for Cities indicates that housing prices in areas with amenities within walking distance carry a premium to houses in communities without access to such amenities. Using WalkScore and pricing data for 15 major metropolitan markets, the researchers found a direct correlation between a higher WalkScore rating (indicating more amenities within walking distance) and higher home prices, keeping such things as number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. constant.

While this comes as no surprise to those of us who have long advocated walkable communities, the press that should be associated with this over the coming days/weeks should serve as additional ammunition to our cause. Not only does a greater degree of walkability aid in the health of residents, it also adds to their pocketbooks. Simply put, more and more people are demanding a lifestyle in which they do not have to be completely tied to their cars. Although many "walkable" areas still require cars for some means of transportation, walkable communities present an option to residents to skip the car for short trips to places in or around the neighborhood. Demand for this lifestyle continues to grow.

It should also be noted that housing values for those areas closer to the city core should return to a "normalized" level much faster than exurban, non-walkable communities. Those areas built upon cheap gas and cheap credit will take much, much longer to return and to become fully developed, as this trend continues. As a result, expect the correlation between walkability and values to continue.

The High Line

The much-anticipated High Line public park opened a few days ago in New York.  I look forward to having the chance to stroll along this elevated park the next time I'm in NYC.  Nicolai Duroussoff gives a very good architectural review in the NY Times.

A (Radical) Way to Fix Suburban Sprawl

Time Magazine reports on the "radical" plan of Tysons Corner, Virginia to improve its mass sprawl by allowing the private sector to essentially redevelop the place itself.  The carrot to entice the private sector is significantly increased density in certain areas, especially surrounding a planned new Metro line extension which will link Tysons Corner with DC and Dulles.  This method allows the market to increase density and reduce sprawl without significant government oversight or intervention.  Landowners may apply to increase the density of their properties, thereby increasing the property values and, ultimately, redeveloping those properties into their highest and best use according to the new density standards.

While this type of "redevelopment" will take time, it allows the market to best determine when various parcels are redeveloped and the look and use of each such parcel.  The result, ideally, is a mosaic of properties, all oriented to pedestrian use and mass-transit, yet without the cookie-cutter feel of many planned transit-oriented developments.  Although the author points to potential problems down the road created by the significant increase in residents, the private sector, combined with the local goverment, should be able to at least ease some of those problems with the creation of new schools, incentives for land donations for parks, etc.  If this "experiment" is only partially successful, Tysons Corner will be a much better place than it is today.  

Redeveloping big boxes into walkable communities

Here is a very interesting study in the Washington Post in which several developers and architects proposed ways to redevelop big box retail stores into lively, urban areas. This is something you'd see in the Congress for the New Urbanism's New Urban News, so I was surprised to see this in a publication like the Washington Post. Kudos to the Post for progressive thinking about urban (and suburban) development.

CDC video promoting walkable communities

Nice, short video from the CDC (with images of Atlanta throughout) explaining the benefits of walkable, urban communities. After having spent the weekend in NYC, I could not agree more.

Mass transit was a big winner in the elections

Over 70% of mass transit initiatives were approvated nation-wide, according to this Wall Street Journal article. Now comes the big question -- will these actually be built? That's a much more difficult question, and if the price of oil continues to plumment, will the demand for rail remain?

Leinberger: The beginning of the end of sprawl in Atlanta

I missed this last week, but Chris Leinberger penned an optimistic opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, arguing that Atlanta is becoming home to more walkable urban places. This is certainly true, and projects such as the redevelopment of Buckhead into a dense, urban center with pedestrian friendly sidewalks and street crossings (still a work in progress, but much better than two years ago), improvements downtown and the very promising Beltline project, will continue this trend.