Walk-able places come in many forms and many degrees of convenience, safety and attractiveness. At one end of the spectrum are car-free pedestrian zones. These most often occur when a city decides to close a street to auto traffic and limit it just to pedestrians. Sometimes this closure is permanent and other times it occurs only on certain days, like during a weekly farmer’s market or an art fair. These zones are the ultimate in walk-ability. That so many people enjoy these street closures (as evidenced by the crowds that fill the streets on these days) should give us pause. Why are these successful events limited to so few days of the year? Shouldn’t we be designing more permanent pedestrian friendly streets and neighborhoods?
At the other end of the spectrum is a neighborhood formed by multi-lane thoroughfares, with narrow sidewalks located right next to the auto lanes. Typically in this all too common example, stores are located long walking distances apart, separated by parking lots. These are areas designed for the convenience of auto traffic at the expense of any walking experience. They are decidedly non walk-able. Crossing a street in an area like this can be intimidating if not outright dangerous—something understood instinctively by people and often reflected by the complete lack of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks.
More and more people are beginning to understanding how important walk-ability is to the life of a community. Certain real estate and rental rating agencies now rate walkability along with price, schools, and neighborhood shopping.