Steve Mouzon finds fault with the uniform application of the 1/4 mile walkability radius, regardless of context. And, in the first in a series of articles, he introduces a new tool for understanding and building walkable places.
Mouzon takes aim at the quarter-mile radius (or 5-minute walk), "which has been held up for a
century as the distance Americans will walk before driving," calling it "a myth." In its place he proposes the use of a new tool - "Walk Appeal" - to describe walkability, which in this article he aligns with the transect. As the transect become less dense and more suburban, the comfortable walking radius actually shrinks - all the way to 25 feet along a sidewalk which runs between an arterial thoroughfare and a surface parking lot.
Future posts will look at the metrics that
determine which Walk Appeal setting a particular streetscape achieves, how Walk Appeal can predict the
viability of walkable neighborhood businesses, and the differences that Walk Appeal streetscape repairs can make in order
to cast a broader net for walking customers, writes Mouzon.
FULL STORY: Walk Appeal
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The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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The Five Most-Changed American Cities
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San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
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Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
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Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
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Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
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Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions