Why suburbia sucks (Atlanta: pharmacy, versus, store)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by abalashov

Agreed. Most people aren't going to walk more than about half a mile for anything routine. And even half a mile is asking a lot if the landscape is dull, uncomfortable and not built with pedestrian sensibilities in mind (enclosure, safety, interesting/appearance of human activity).

Nonroutine walks of several miles or more are possible, but if it's just a boring and/or everyday errand, heavens no.

But:

1. While it is probably not possible to set up any area to ensure that one's friends are within a walkable distance, it is certainly possible to design neighbourhoods in which all basic everyday necessities are available within 1/4 mi - 1/2 mi walk.

2. It doesn't require squishing America or any city or town to 1 square mile to design neighbourhoods around transit and to connect them with transit.

3. One needn't squish America to mile-long distances in order to make its population centres more dense and organised in such a way as to be useful and pleasant to get around on foot.

But how would we retrofit our current built environment?

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Most people don't want to have to shower and change clothes every time they run an errand.

One day after class in Texas it was 108 degrees. Took the bus from campus and still had to take a shower after I got back I was sweating so much.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Most people don't want to have to shower and change clothes every time they run an errand.

Dress light. We somehow managed to do it for hundreds of years before the private automobile.

[LTCM]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Dress light. We somehow managed to do it for hundreds of years before the private automobile.

We also lived fine before indoor plumbing, hvac climate controls, the epa (and tons more govt regulations), properly stored food, and countless other things we now use to make our lives better but aren't 'necessary'.

I mean, ppl lived without proper shoes for hundreds of years, we don't need them either.

Such a tired argument.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by LTCM

We also lived fine before indoor plumbing, hvac climate controls, the epa (and tons more govt regulations), properly stored food, and countless other things we now use to make our lives better but aren't 'necessary'.

I mean, ppl lived without proper shoes for hundreds of years, we don't need them either.

Such a tired argument.

And yet we have a huge obesity epidemic in our country that is not seen in other industrialized countries that have more walkable urban design.

[DJDeadParrot]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Dress light. We somehow managed to do it for hundreds of years before the private automobile.

There's much better ways to argue in favor of opting out of car-dependence. This isn't one of those ways.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Dress light. We somehow managed to do it for hundreds of years before the private automobile.

At current temps, it doesn't matter what you are or are not wearing. You will sweat profusely.
Local anesthetics weren't used hundreds or years ago either. Do you want to go back to that era and tough it out for surgery/dental work?

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by cqholt

And yet we have a huge obesity epidemic in our country that is not seen in other industrialized countries that have more walkable urban design.

Other countries are catching up quick. And walking even an hour a day doesn't burn that many calories. Drink a 20 oz Coke and you just wiped out those calories burned plus some. Diet is a huge part of it and the US's diet sucks.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by cqholt

And yet we have a huge obesity epidemic in our country that is not seen in other industrialized countries that have more walkable urban design.

Not sure the issue is as much a lack of exercise as it is corporate-sponsored poor diet.

Probably both.

[wasel]

Originally Posted by cqholt

People will run or walk further than that for exercise, but not for a errand? Maybe if we walked more places, we wouldn't have to walk/run for exercise.

I actually enjoy walking but I don't have the time to walk for errands. Maybe on weekends but not on a workday.