4 ways to make a city more walkable | Jeff Speck

TED
2 Mar 201718:37
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe talk emphasizes the critical need for walkable cities, where cars are optional, not essential. The speaker introduces the 'general theory of walkability,' underlining four key components: reasons to walk, safety, comfort, and interesting environments. Through examples of urban planning successes and failures, the talk showcases how cities like Grand Rapids and Oklahoma City are transforming to enhance pedestrian experiences. By advocating for compact, diverse neighborhoods over suburban sprawl, the presentation calls for integrated planning that prioritizes walkability, transit, and vibrant public spaces, urging a reimagined approach to city design that fosters healthier, more engaging urban environments.

Takeaways
  • 😀 The walkable city has housing, jobs, shops, recreation and education within walking distance.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Walkability requires a reason to walk, safety, comfort and interesting scenery.
  • 🚗 Sprawl separates everything and reconnects them only with cars, making walking difficult.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Traditional neighborhoods are compact, diverse and walkable unlike suburban sprawl.
  • 🚦 Block size, number of lanes and lane width impact walkability and traffic accidents.
  • 🚲 Bicycle infrastructure increases bicycling, improving walkability.
  • ⛑️ On-street parking, trees and narrow lanes make walking feel safer.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Human scale design with active ground floors creates comfortable, interesting walks.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Mixed-use development links neighborhoods, attracting pedestrians.
  • 🏙️ Improving walkability requires a comprehensive approach adjusting many elements.
Q & A

  • What is the main message of the 'general theory of walkability'?

    -The main message is that to have a walkable city, you need to offer four things simultaneously - a proper reason to walk, safety, comfort, and interesting surroundings.

  • How does zoning affect walkability?

    -Euclidean zoning separates uses into large single-use areas far from each other. This guarantees you won't have a walkable city, unlike traditional neighborhoods where diverse uses are compact and within walking distance.

  • How does block size affect safety?

    -Smaller blocks of around 200 feet lead to slower traffic and fewer fatal accidents than larger 600 foot blocks.

  • How does induced demand apply to walkability?

    -Widening roads induces more car demand. For a walkable city, oversized car infrastructure should be narrowed to add medians, bike lanes, parking etc.

  • How do bike lanes increase biking?

    -Areas with good bike infrastructure see a vast increase in cycling. Painted lanes, protected lanes, and buffered lanes all boost bike numbers.

  • How do trees help walkability?

    -Trees along streets cause cars to drive slower, improving safety. They provide refuge and a comfortable sense of enclosure for pedestrians.

  • What is the problem with large curb radii?

    -Large, swooping curb radii allow cars to turn fast without slowing. Small curb radii force cars to slow down, making streets safer.

  • How does parking help pedestrians?

    -Parallel parking protects the sidewalk from moving cars. Pedestrians feel safer with this steel barrier separating them from traffic.

  • Why are active ground floors important?

    -Active uses like shops engage pedestrians at street level. Blank walls and exposed parking discourage walking.

  • How did a pedestrian bridge help connect neighborhoods?

    -A bridge connecting the convention center to the Short North neighborhood brought more foot traffic and revived business.

Outlines
00:00
🏙 What is a walkable city and why do we need it?

Paragraph 1 introduces the concept of a walkable city which allows freedom of mobility without cars. It contrasts the traditional neighborhood model which is compact, diverse and walkable versus suburban sprawl which is not. The speaker explains he will talk about why we need walkable cities and how to create them.

05:03
🚶 How suburban sprawl discourages walking

Paragraph 2 explains how suburban sprawl separates everything, requiring automotive infrastructure that creates an inhospitable landscape for pedestrians. This model discourages walking and needs an urban framework to be walkable.

10:03
🛣️ The 4 requirements for a walkable city

Paragraph 3 outlines the 4 key requirements for a walkable city: a reason to walk, safety, comfort and interesting scenery. All 4 must be addressed simultaneously to encourage walking over driving.

15:05
🏘 Creating walkable neighborhoods

Paragraph 4 summarizes how to apply these principles to create walkable neighborhoods: ensure the right mix of uses, add housing and transit, build pedestrian safety, create human-scale blocks, slow traffic, accommodate bikes, make comfortable public spaces and add signs of humanity.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Walkable City
A walkable city prioritizes pedestrian convenience and safety, offering a viable alternative to car dependency. In the script, it's defined as a city where the car is an optional instrument of freedom, suggesting urban design that supports walking by being safe, comfortable, and interesting. The concept underscores the necessity of integrating various urban elements—such as housing, workplaces, shops, and recreation—within walking distance to encourage pedestrian movement and reduce reliance on vehicles.
💡General Theory of Walkability
This term represents the speaker's comprehensive framework for creating walkable cities, which requires simultaneously offering a walk that is as good as a drive or better. It involves providing four key elements: a reason to walk, safety, comfort, and interest. The theory aims to guide urban planning and design efforts to enhance walkability by addressing these interconnected aspects, ensuring that pedestrian environments are attractive and functional.
💡Euclidean Zoning
Euclidean zoning refers to the traditional approach to urban planning that separates the landscape into large areas of single use, such as residential, commercial, and industrial zones. The script criticizes this method for contributing to non-walkable cities by spreading out essential services and living spaces, which necessitates the use of cars. This zoning practice is juxtaposed with the New Urbanism movement, which advocates for mixed-use developments to support walkability.
💡New Urbanism
New Urbanism is a planning and development approach focused on creating walkable, sustainable communities with a diverse mix of housing, jobs, and amenities. The script highlights its contrast to sprawl, emphasizing compact, mixed-use neighborhoods where everything is within walking distance. This approach promotes the traditional neighborhood design as a model for walkable, integrated urban spaces.
💡Suburban Sprawl
Suburban sprawl describes the spread of urban development over large areas with low population density, leading to dependence on automobiles. The script outlines its characteristics—such as separation of uses, lack of connectivity, and oversized roads and parking lots—as detrimental to walkability. This concept is used to illustrate the challenges of creating walkable cities within the sprawl-dominated American landscape.
💡Induced Demand
Induced demand is a concept in traffic engineering that suggests increasing road capacity leads to more traffic, as it encourages additional car use. In the script, it's mentioned to argue against widening roads as a solution to congestion, highlighting that such measures can actually exacerbate traffic problems and undermine walkability by prioritizing cars over pedestrians.
💡Transit
In the context of the script, transit refers to public transportation systems that are integral to supporting walkable cities. It emphasizes that a comprehensive transit network enables people to access the entire city without a car, thereby fostering a walkable urban environment. The speaker notes that every transit trip begins or ends with a walk, underlining the importance of designing transit-friendly and pedestrian-friendly spaces.
💡Block Size
Block size is mentioned as a critical factor in urban walkability. Smaller blocks, such as those in Portland, Oregon, create a more walkable environment by offering more intersections and shorter distances between destinations. Conversely, larger blocks, like those in Salt Lake City, are associated with less walkable, more car-dependent urban designs. The script uses block size to illustrate how urban form can influence pedestrian comfort and city navigability.
💡Bicycle Infrastructure
Bicycle infrastructure includes facilities and design features that support cycling, such as bike lanes and bike parking. The script identifies it as a crucial component of walkable cities, noting that the presence of dedicated cycling infrastructure significantly increases bicycle use. This concept aligns with the broader theme of reducing car dependency by providing safe, convenient alternatives for movement within the city.
💡Mixed-use Development
Mixed-use development refers to the practice of integrating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces in close proximity to encourage walking and reduce the need for driving. The script supports mixed-use as essential for creating walkable cities, where diverse functions are vertically and horizontally combined to create vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environments. This approach contrasts with Euclidean zoning and is central to the New Urbanism philosophy.
Highlights

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Transcripts

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