"It's too cold to walk here" is often the response to the subject of livability in northern climes. Hazel Borys hails from the third coldest city of its size on earth and talks walkable winter cities.
"Walkability mitigates the most extreme climates by providing interesting places to warm up, linger, and connect. And plenty of options about how and where to turn around and circle back."
Northern cities tend to go after big silver bullets for making their cities appealing in the winter, to compete with the Sun Belt. These bullets are generally set in the city center, and are regional draws to get people to drive somewhere and then spend time outside. However, the greatest parts of walkable winter cities aren’t about the headliners, but rather the openers. And those openers tend to be enabled in policy but not in legality.
"Legalizing the useful walk, outdoor rooms, short blocks, and play sheds are the first steps toward a walkable winter city, as well as allowing us to live in season year round. These urban forms are available only by negotiation and not by right for most of North America."
"While Canadian cities offer up so many great ideas about embracing winter, last week’s Maclean’s headlined, 'We’ve become a nation of winter wusses.' This extensive piece has many inescapable points about how Canadians avoid the outdoors in winter, where in the past we used to pride ourselves on being the land of ice and snow. I think this shift is due mainly to recent suburban growth patterns."
Carnival de Québec, Québec City, Québec. CreativeCommons ShareAlike License with Attribution: flickr user Jamie McCaffrey.
FULL STORY: Walkable Winter Cities
Goodbye, Winter: Until Next Time, a Few Reminders on Lovable Winter Cities
While winter cities may spend most of their brand management on showcasing regional winter amenities, the greatest winter cities provide delight on the neighborhood scale.
3 Good Reasons SimCity Should Adopt a Form-Based Code
And an update from Codes Study about the 600 places that really are upping their game with form-based codes.
Connections, Community, and the Science of Loneliness
Can urban form help address the loneliness that so often accompanies aging? In a new blog post, Hazel Borys examines some remedies for severed connections.
Only Two US Metro Areas Are Affordable for Homebuyers
Northeast Ohio is the last remaining bastion of housing affordability, according to an analysis from the National Association of Realtors.
When ‘Prioritizing All Modes’ Is a Lie
In many cases, it’s impossible to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users without sacrificing some speed.
Great Album Covers with Urban Planning Themes
Album covers that evoke urban themes.
Musk ‘Supercomputer’ Raises Water, Power, and Pollution Concerns in Memphis
The facility, which was completed in just 122 days, was rushed through so quickly, it is still missing environmental permits and infrastructure needed to ensure it doesn’t put stress on the grid or local water supply.
School Drop-Off Traffic Is Causing a Congestion — and Social — Crisis
School drop-off lines are becoming longer and more isolating than ever.
Extraction on Tribal Lands Contributes to State Coffers
A recent investigation reveals that profits from oil, grazing, and other uses on state-managed tribal lands are funding off-reservation public institutions.
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.
City of Riverside
City of Palmdale
City of Palmdale
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Calabasas
City of Portland, ME