West Palm Beach, Florida Explores Downtown Walkability

West Palm Beach, Florida is undertaking a walkability study of its downtown; wide streets and a confusing mix of jurisdictions provide substantial challenges to the effort.

1 minute read

May 13, 2014, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Eliot Kleinberg details the case of West Palm Beach, Florida, were the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Community Development Agency recently hired Jeff Speck to undertake a walkability study of the city's downtown. 

Plans to build a new, 400-plus-room hotel, across from the West Palm Beach's CityPlace and adjacent to the city's convention center, for instance, would be greatly improved if the street bifurcating the developments weren't eight lanes of vehicle-inhabited pedestrian disincentive. DDA Executive Director Raphael Clemente even has a personal anecdote about the dangerous conditions of the streets in downtown—he and his daughter were struck by a car making an illegal U-turn while they were riding their bikes in downtown last year.

The city, including Mayor Jeri Muoio, seem ready to address the problem at the street design level—rather than adding pedestrian or bicycle infrastructure like flyovers or tunnels. But reconfiguring the street will require coordination of a byzantine maze of jurisdictions. The aforementioned eight-lane street across from the convention center, for instance, is actually two separate 4-lane, 1-way boulevards: "Okeechobee and Lakeview — constitute a state road, State Road 704. Traffic lights are operated by Palm Beach County. The city owns part of the median. And the convention center hotel owns another part."

According to Kleinberg's report, Speck will present his findings of his walkability study at the end of May.

Sunday, May 11, 2014 in The Palm Beach Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing