Rick Steves on Walkability Lessons From Europe

It’s no news to urbanists that many European cities—for a wealth of reasons including history, geography, and politics—are more walkable, bike-friendly, and less car-focused than their American counterparts. In a conversation with Strong Towns described by Seairra Jones, travel host and guidebook author Rick Steves outlines how cities can achieve safe, pedestrian-oriented urban spaces.

“Our conversation ranged from the importance of populated downtowns, to the social and economic benefits of shared spaces, to how every great place has hidden heroes who helped make it that way,” Jones writes. Steves praises the robust bike infrastructure of places like Copenhagen, where ample secure bike parking makes it easy for residents to get around the city core without cars. When it comes to the lack of reliable train service in the United States, Stevens points out that “I think we have the infrastructure, but the priority for the infrastructure is not people, it's cargo.”

Moreover, while many of Europe’s most famous walkable streets and cities seem like historical artifacts, some are actually recent transformations. Through the efforts or advocates, “now, the roads are thinner, the sidewalks are wider. And the roads are used by local residents and service vehicles and police and public transit.” Steves adds, “I live in a beautiful community, and it's so clear to me that beautiful communities don't just happen. They happen because of quiet heroism of local citizens who get involved, sit in meetings, stick at something they're passionate about, and make a difference in a grassroots kind of way.”