"We're investing in walkability," always sounds like an encouraging tagline from local governments...or does it?
"When political leadership justifies an expenditure of millions of dollars by saying it will make a place more walkable and yet the completed project, even generously assessed, fails to meet even one of the ten steps towards achieving walkability, it deserves scrutiny."
"If we’re not going to pursue walkability in a meaningful, systemic way based on the principles that actually deliver results, and we have the data available showing that pedestrian lip service in car dependent places has no appreciable impact on property values, then exactly why are we — or any of the countless places around the country doing similar projects — spending millions of dollars anyways?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Scott Doyon lays out a case in point in South Dekalb County, Georgia, for scrutiny through a 10-point Walkable City lens.
Read the full story: Walkability: Good money after bad
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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.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
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Alabama scores up to $2.5 billion federal loan for largest infrastructure project in state’s history
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
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KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello