It is time we walk the talk of our great masters of the past. In their most recent rankings, Walk Score rated the walkability of 141 U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or greater. People are the lifeblood of cities, and if we’re going to pull off the feat of ushering America into the urban century, we have to show those people not only why walkability is important, but how their own actions and decisions can help to create more of it. All Rights Reserved. The website Walk Score has released their 2011 list of the country’s most “walkable” cities, i.e. In fact, as the report explains, walkability is something that people have time and again demanded, and that demand is simply not being met. We know from exhaustive past research that walkable neighborhoods and cities reduce driving, associated emissions, and living costs. Those quaint old-towns of Europe. Walkable Neighborhoods Give You Time Back! Today, more and more cities and neighborhood associations are focusing on walkability, or more generally, how people move around an area without the use of a personal vehicle. Long Beach may seem like a surprising entrant on the list of the most walkable cities in the U.S., given how necessary a car is in nearby Los Angeles. “In addition to the cost savings for not having to use as many shuttle buses, the green aspect is important to us,” says Brown. ("Traffic studies are bullshit.") Three important academic studies published earlier this year demonstrate that they are good for our health, too. Regular walking may reduce the risk of diseases such as type … will change the way you see cities.” —Kaid Benfield, The Atlantic Cities “Jeff Speck, AICP, is one of the few practitioners and writers in the field who can make a 312-page book on a basic planning concept seem too short . Quite simply because walkable cities are, by definition, sustainable cities. To create walkable cities, of course it’s important for planners and city leaders to understand what sort of physical features encourage people to walk more. Should be required reading." Drawing data from 429,334 participants aged 38-73 years, the research demonstrated that increased walkability of the neighbourhood results in healthier blood pressure outcomes which ultimately redound to reduced propensity to hypertension and other cardiovascular ailments. Most cities sit on this curve; the trick is finding the right one. The book's opening chapter, before Jeff gets into the ten steps, is devoted to the rapidly increasing demand for walkable places and to an indictment of our car-oriented cities, which "have effectively become no-walking zones." In it, Speck introduces new data that gives walkable cities yet another selling point: equity. A growing body of research shows that walkable, compact communities can promote good health and a healthier planet by promoting exercise and reducing the risk of obesity; lowering car crash fatalities; reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle-related air pollution; and cutting down gasoline bills and oil imports. We all love walkable cities, don't we? The findings are relevant when viewed in the context of urban design, public health finance and public policy: around 55% of the global population lives in cities, and the figure is projected to rise to 60% in 2030 according to a 2016 UN Report; cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death accounting for 31% of all global deaths; and health-related ailments put fiscal pressure on public health. In countries where walking is not seen as desirable because of the sun and heat, tree lined walkways are essential for encouraging people to walk. Older European cities, which were built with walking in mind, have good fabric. Why Living in a Walkable Area Matters Jennifer Fulwiler The website Walk Score has released their 2011 list of the country’s most “walkable” cities , i.e. Even more important have been the place-making efforts of people like the late Tony Goldman and others to transform Wynwood into a walkable neighborhood, complete with … Often . Many suburban towns and cities lack this enclosing space around people, and matching the space to the pedestrian is an important facet for communities looking to become more walkable. That is why the shade and cooling benefits that trees bring are an important element of a good walking environment anywhere, but in-particular in hot climates. The separate bell tower used to be part of the city’s fortifications, along with the nearby red-brick Gediminas Tower. Cars aren’t the only way we move through the places where we live, work, and play. Making a city more walkable today is a great investment in the future of the community. King County—the most urbanized county in Washington—has the lowest overall crash risk of any county in the state. Findings are consistent even when variables such as socio-demographic, lifestyle and related physical environmental were factored in, though the protective effects among female participants aged 50-60 years, in employment, residing in deprived, high density, and greener areas are more pronounced, the study further disclosed. Accessibility. The huge Cathedral Square would be impressive in any case but the cathedral itself is absolutely stunning – a bright white wedding-cake of a building. Walkability is an important concept in sustainable urban design. It both needs and feeds walkability. Detroit, MI. Put cars in their place. This means that for every minute you spend walking, you get three back. People who live in the most-walkable neighborhoods are 2.4 times as likely to walk for 30 minutes or more than those who lived in the least-walkable communities. Residents of sprawling neighborhoods drive longer distances, and spend more time overall in their cars, than do residents of more compact neighborhoods. It is for smart people who like to think outside the box and believe in the future of sustainable urban development. Urban living labs as key instruments in sustainable city development, Mainstreaming nature-based solutions for sustainable and resilient cities, The EU is humanity’s greatest achievement and cities are crucial for its future success, UrbanizeHub proposes 10 urban mobility solutions for an incubator in Vienna. The AWEA has another important reason for choosing walkable cities. Perhaps most importantly, a walkable street is one in which many businesses occupy the bulk of the land, meaning that dozens of destinations can be accessed in a matter of minutes on foot, and that every inch of land is put to economically productive use — not squandered in empty parking lots or unnecessary landscaping. Why Retirees Prefer Walkable Communities Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, CA is a very walkable community where residents love taking advantage of the outdoors. It should come as no surprise that living in walkable cities and neighborhoods benefits our health, the environment, our communities, and wallets. Compact, walkable neighborhoods allow families to make fewer trips in their cars, travel less to meet their everyday needs – and thus reduce their contribution to global warming. Why do we need more walkable cities? — ... Cities & Towns “Walkable City . New York City is a dramatic example of a metropolis where too many walkable urban places have been concentrated over a tiny landmass, creating an unsustainable housing situation. How to Seek Out a Walkable Neighborhood. Neighborhoods that are considered to be more walkable have wide-ranging benefits over neighborhoods that are considered to be not as walkable. There is more to a walkable city than the economic, intellectual and social benefits that it delivers – walkable cities are heart-friendly as they result in better blood pressure outcomes for their inhabitants, according to a study. In the words of Dr. Sarkar: “public health interventions must consider the intangible value of urban planning and design.” This is the catalytic effect of a well-built environment in promoting physical and social engagements towards safer, better and healthier cities in the future. It has been claimed that walkable neighborhoods played a part in shaping the intellectual ideas of some of the world’s greatest thinkers such as Rosseau, Thoreau, Rimbaud and Kant. When transportation is limited to cars, that means many people are shut out of the … The US cities … Walkability is an important concept in sustainable urban design. If we’ve sparked your interest, don’t hesitate to contact us and become a member of Urbanize Hub. Much has been said about the positive association between the walkability of a city to reduced crime, improved real estate values, enhanced creativity and a more socially engaged community. Associate Professor Matthew Burke from Griffith University is examining why cities need to be walkable and how that influences the way business is conducted. Are you interested in future cities and sustainable urban development? It's also important to note that some of the most walkable cities in the report are significantly more expensive than the locations that took the lower spots. Another reason why Vilnius is a wonderfully walkable city is that there’s so much to do. “After all, we are the American Wind Energy Association so we definitely have a robust green program for our events. To find out why people choose to walk, we can look at places and spaces that have successfully drawn their share of walkers. Project Drawdown describes making cities walkable as an important solution in the toolkit for adapting cities to climate change: it reduces carbon emissions, and improves quality of life. The Benefits of Walkable Neighborhoods. The … In particular, the research, which examines different aspects of compact, walkable, and mixed-use communities and compares those aspects to published government health data, finds that such neighborhoods and cities are strongly associated with reduced rates of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. This initially sounds like a cliché, but the way to a safe, sound and healthier community is in and within the city itself. Of course not.
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