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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A popular walkability assessment omits key factors that impact different demographics and can direct development resources to already wealthy neighborhoods.
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For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
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New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
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Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
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