Lecture Notes: The General Theory of Walkability

Presenter: Tanya Cushman

Introduction

• Focus on how to create walkable cities.
• Introduces the "General Theory of Walkability," which consists of four key components necessary to make walking as appealing as driving:
  • Reason to Walk
  • Safe Walk
  • Comfortable Walk
  • Interesting Walk

Importance of Walkability

• Most American cities tempt residents to drive due to the prevalence of cars.
• Walkability is essential to counter the drawbacks of urban sprawl.

Historical Context

• Influenced by mentors Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (New Urbanism Movement).
• 19th-century planning: separation of housing from industrial mills improved health.
• Introduction of Euclidean zoning, leading to single-use areas, making cities less walkable.

Urban vs. Suburban Design

• Traditional Neighborhood: Compact, diverse land use, walkable with multiple small streets.
• Suburban Sprawl: Post-WWII design, not compact or diverse, disconnected streets, reliance on cars.
• Impact of Sprawl: Larger schools, public institutions requiring automotive access, and separation of daily activities.

Key Aspects of Walkability

1. Reason to Walk

• Mixed-use development and proximity of amenities improve walkability.
• Housing is often missing in urban centers; adding it balances jobs and amenities, contributing to a vibrant city environment.

2. Safe Walk

• Essential but not sufficient for walkability.
• Block Size: Smaller blocks (e.g., Portland) encourage walking compared to larger blocks (e.g., Salt Lake City).
• Lanes and Traffic: Induced demand shows widening streets increases traffic.
• Example: Oklahoma City reduced lane numbers to match actual traffic, improving walkability.

3. Comfortable Walk

• Importance of feeling safe and having a sense of enclosure (prospect and refuge).
• Proper height-to-width ratio of streetscapes is crucial.
• Urban design should avoid "missing teeth" (gaps in buildings) to maintain a cohesive street wall.

4. Interesting Walk

• Streets should show signs of human activity.
• Integration of active ground floors and mixed uses.
• Example of successful urban design includes hiding parking garages behind active storefronts.

Case Studies and Examples

• Cedar Rapids: Transitioning from a four-lane to a two-lane system to enhance walkability.
• Columbus, Ohio: Revitalization of the Short North neighborhood by adding pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

Conclusion

• A walkable city requires simultaneous attention to all four key elements.
• Encourages cities to identify strengths and weaknesses in walkability and make the necessary improvements.
• Thanks the audience for their attention and engagement.