Learning from Europe

European cities tend to be more walkable and transit-accessible—perhaps because they get the three Ds right (density, diversity, and design).

3 minute read

June 11, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By Michael Lewyn @mlewyn


Multi-Modal

lornet / Shutterstock

Last week, I went to Europe for the first time in over 20 years, and for the first time ever alone (as opposed to traveling with family or with a guided tour). Rather than going to the usual museums and tourist attractions, I explored Paris and Amsterdam the same way I would explore Detroit or Phoenix: as an urbanist, visiting as many neighborhoods as possible and comparing them to American cities. 

Of course, both cities are far more walkable and transit-oriented than most American cities. In both, only about 30 percent of commuters use a car.  Why?

Robert Cervero has written that three major elements affect travel patterns: density, diversity and design. Paris and Amsterdam are only moderately different from most American cities in the first two respects, but quite different in the last. 

Compact cities tend to be more walkable and transit-friendly, because in a dense, compact city, more people can live within walking distance of shops and transit stops. Paris and Amsterdam are more dense than most of the United States—but not outstandingly so from my New York City perspective. Paris has about 55,000 people per square mile—more than New York City as a whole but less than Manhattan. Amsterdam is much less dense, with a little over 12,000 people per square mile- not many by New York standards, but still comparable to transit-friendly cities like Chicago and San Francisco. Even in Centrum (the most dense of Amsterdam's boroughs) there were only 28,000 people per square mile, only slightly more than the citywide average in New York. 

In both cities, I stayed in transit-accessible suburbs rather than in the touristy, expensive core. But even in its suburbs, Paris seemed to have a high diversity of uses; it was very common to see shops on the ground floor of residential blocks, even in suburban Levallois where I stayed. This diversity makes it easier for people to walk to shops. Similarly, Centrum is mostly mixed-use. The post-World War II, suburb-y parts of Amsterdam, by contrast, do have areas dominated by residences. But in these neighborhoods, as in 1920s American streetcar suburbs, a commercial street was usually just a few blocks away.   

The biggest difference between these cities and American cities, however, relates to design. Even in my Manhattan neighborhood, most street space is reserved for moving automobiles. By contrast, in Paris and Amsterdam there are fewer automobile lanes and more space for pedestrians (and, in Amsterdam, bicycles). In Levallois, I stayed on a two-lane street with one lane for parked cars and only one more lane for moving cars. Amsterdam had far more bike lanes, but also seemed to have a lot of one and two-lane streets. Narrow streets have obvious benefits for pedestrians and bicyclists: traffic is slower, and when you cross the streets you have fewer lanes to cross.  

(Note: If you want to see photos of the neighborhoods I visited, the photos on my Facebook page are set as open to the public).


Michael Lewyn

Michael Lewyn is an associate professor at Touro University, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, in Long Island. His scholarship can be found at http://works.bepress.com/lewyn.

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Write for Planetizen

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.