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Are you kidding? There are many cities in the US that are like this. There are many progressive cities in the US where bike culture is popular, where many people bike, with sizeable pedestrian areas. Bike culture, smart cars, and a focus on better public transportation have become the focus in many US cities. I think you are behind on American dynamusm and how fast things change here.
I was just in Austin Texas and walked and biked just about everywhere. Its a very cool, creative city actually.
Maybe we just have little different views on this I don't consider American cities walkable at all.
PS. It's not like the majority of workers in downtown Austin use their own car to get there
In the mean while I post you a picture from downtown Vienna:
Ok, I see what you mean..Pedestrian only routes that don't allow cars. I don't know NYC well enough to know about that. Those are definitely less common here but they do exist.
There are areas like that but they would usually allow cars too
RE bikes. I assume Finland is like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, which have more bikes that I have ever seen. We are starting to see them more and some cities like Portland and San Diego have bike stops where you can pick up a bike and drop it off at the next spot.
Ok, I see what you mean..Pedestrian only routes that don't allow cars. I don't know NYC well enough to know about that. Those are definitely less common here but they do exist.
There are areas like that but they would usually allow cars too
RE bikes. I assume Finland is like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, which have more bikes that I have ever seen. We are starting to see them more and some cities like Portland and San Diego have bike stops where you can pick up a bike and drop it off at the next spot.
Actually Finland doesn't have too many bikes. Maybe because weather is bad for 9 months a year I know there's many good American cities, but to claim that they are as pedestrian/bike friendly as European cities is just unintelligent.
Maybe we just have little different views on this I don't consider American cities walkable at all.
PS. It's not like the majority of workers in downtown Austin use their own car to get there
That's because most of them live in the Suburbs. I assume now that you means areas like Stroget in Copenhagen. You will see them occasionally here but no, the reality is that in most places you walk with cars.
I've been al over Europe and most of your downtowns are really really old and cars don't fit. Our cities are newer with room for both.
Here is a section of Boston called Quincy Market .. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...pscmks6uaz.jpg
Last edited by Rozenn; 03-24-2015 at 03:41 PM..
Reason: Copyright issues
Actually Finland doesn't have too many bikes. Maybe because weather is bad for 9 months a year I know there's many good American cities, but to claim that they are as pedestrian/bike friendly as European cities is just unintelligent.
I never claimed that. I agree that Europe is generally more pedestrian/bike friendly. Honestly though, over here we just walk on sidewalks and share the areas with cars most of the time.
Last edited by JennyMominRI; 03-23-2015 at 07:55 PM..
Could you give me few examples of American cities with downtowns that has plazas, terraces, no need for car, people actually walking/biking to commute?
Here's what you said, which I responded to:
Quote:
Yea but many of your cities lack proper "downtown" and people just commute from the suburbs.
And now you're moving the goal posts, or adding criteria.
Most US cities are not "like" European cities in general. That being said, there are many cities and towns in the US that have a very walkable core/downtown area, as well as towns. I will give you some screen shots of such cities. That being said, you WILL see cars in these photos. Though the downtown areas are meant to be walkable, people may drive to the area and park.
As you can see in Los Angeles the city actually has much more people but some guy was drunk when they draw the city limits to a map. In Berlin "city" actually includes the whole city.
edit:
Seems to be normal in America for actual city to include only a small portion of actual metro area.
edit2:
It's practically impossible to compare cities by their population. At least American cities vs European.
Meanwhile, I will say that of COURSE it's difficult to compare US and EU cities - because they ARE so vastly different across the board. Believe me, I'm very capable of understanding logic and reasoning.
But on one hand there are people on this thread saying, "WE HAVE TO COMPARE CITIES ONLY - ON THEIR POPULATIONS." Then someone else pops in and says, "NO, ON METRO AREAS." Which is it?
The bottom line is that EU and US cities are laid out very differently, generally speaking, with many differences in population density per square mile/km. This means that the populations have different needs and different lifestyles.
Last edited by Rozenn; 03-24-2015 at 03:43 PM..
Reason: Orphaned
Maybe we just have little different views on this I don't consider American cities walkable at all.
PS. It's not like the majority of workers in downtown Austin use their own car to get there
How much time have you actually spent walking around American cities?
American cities didn't develop like European cities. Most American cities developed roads in a grid pattern, and many American cities, unlike many European ones, were built specifically to accommodate vehicle traffic. Since our cities are relatively new, they often didn't develop of centuries around a town square or one particular city center. Many may have a courthouse in the center of the town but the town's streets are laid out in a grid around that courthouse. Outside the northeast (where the oldest US cities are for the most part), you will rarely see US cities with the tiny, narrow streets that are so common in European cities. Our cities were usually built with cars and parking and traffic in mind - rather than as an afterthought. So we don't have to have "Fussganger" areas, because we have wider streets and wide sidewalks in many of the city centers.
Maybe we just have little different views on this I don't consider American cities walkable at all.
PS. It's not like the majority of workers in downtown Austin use their own car to get there
People drive to work not because the cities and downtowns aren't walkable. They drive (or take the bus) to work because the downtown areas and nearby neighborhoods are too expensive. Some people have to live outside the city, where rents and real estate are cheaper, and commute in. Walkability is very desirable, and some people are willing (and able) to pay extra to live in the city in walkable neighborhoods.
I've never heard of any American city that didn't have a "proper" downtown. I think that's very rare. And fyi, many cities have bike lanes, so that bicyclists can commute safely, without riding among all the cars. People certainly do walk to work (I did, for about 12 years), and bicycle to work. Many people commute by transit.
Majurius, your posts tend to sound like your understanding of life in the US comes from a Soviet textbook. That was then, this is now. Things change.
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I don't consider American cities walkable at all.
I know there's many good American cities, but to claim that they are as pedestrian/bike friendly as European cities is just unintelligent.
