Opinion: 'Performative' Pedestrian Improvements Need Deeper Scrutiny

Minor pedestrian-oriented improvements alone won't improve walkability if infrastructure still prioritizes fast-moving vehicles, according to this article.

1 minute read

February 1, 2021, 9:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Bollards

dasytnik / Shutterstock

Pedestrian infrastructure projects too often prioritize faster car traffic and fail to implement real protective measures for people walking, argues Joe Cortright. Houston's Energy Corridor, which recently received a high-profile "pedestrian makeover," provides a prime example of the "remedial and performative" projects that, according to Cortright, project the appearance of walkability while maintaining "an auto-dominated and pedestrian hostile environment." With 60,000 cars passing through every day, the newly renovated intersection, with its dangerous "slip lanes," offers minimal safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Aside from the lack of real protection for pedestrians, the area suffers from a lack of walkable destinations. "Pro-tip: any area that describes itself as a 'corridor' is almost always an auto-dominated, pedestrian-hostile space, a place people travel through, rather than being in."

Cortright points to similar examples in other cities, asserting that "much of what purports to be 'pedestrian' infrastructure, is really car infrastructure, and is only necessary in a world that’s dominated by car travel." True pedestrian infrastructure, he writes, includes density, walkable destinations, and fewer, slower cars. "Walkability and pedestrian safety are really about building great places, not piecemeal and largely decorative so-called infrastructure."

Monday, January 25, 2021 in City Observatory

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

A mountain range at sunset appears in the background of this photo, with cacti in the foreground.

Biden Designates a New National Monument in West Texas

The Castner Range National Monument in West Texas is the second of two new national monuments announced by President Joe Biden this week.

1 hour ago - The White House

View of street in Chinatown, San Francisco with cars parked along curb and red Chinese lanterns hanging above street

Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem

In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.

3 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

A group of wetsuit-clad swimmers gathers to talk in shallow water near the shore of the San Francisco Bay.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

March 24 - The Mercury News

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.