Visited Beaver Today (Pittsburgh, Penn: wedding, restaurant, groceries)

[airwave09]

Beaver is a great town, but Sewickley has it beat with location and level of "quaintness". The walkability factor is probably similar though.

[Katarina Witt]

I read some research once, I believe on my transit district's website, that said that most people are willing to walk about 2/10 mile. As you get farther and farther out, it's not considered "walkable" any more unless you're out pleasure walking.

[SPSGuy]

2/10ths of a mile? No wonder Americans are such obese blobs.

[BrianTH]

As I recall most studies think there are still a lot of people walking at 1/2 mile, but significantly less than at 1/4 mile, and it is declining rapidly. Past 1 mile, the numbers are getting negligible (at least for planning purposes).

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

As I recall most studies think there are still a lot of people walking at 1/2 mile, but significantly less than at 1/4 mile, and it is declining rapidly. Past 1 mile, the numbers are getting negligible (at least for planning purposes).

That's funny. I remember reading that in the days of the "walking city", 2 miles was generally considered the maximum distance that most people were willing to walk to get to school, work, church, stores etc. When the Knoxville Incline opened in 1890, it actually spurred development in the sections of Brookline close to Rt 51, as that area was considered a reasonable walk from the new incline.

[Copanut]

My driveway is 1/10th of a mile, the PG is my major exercise everyday.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by groar

if your view of what "walkability" means is the majority view, i wonder why this is the first time i have ever come across it,

Because it's a silly, made-up, presumptuous, word that has no fixed definition and is used as conclusory language by people with an agenda. I'm happy to define it properly.

Cf. the "complete streets" loaded-term nonsense other density advocates are pushing.

If were in a good Chicago suburb and I asked a nice elderly lady where she likes to go for a walk, where she chooses is "walkable."

An area can have no businesses, at all, and still be walkable. An area must be clean, well-kept, easy to walk, attractive and safe to be walkable. Businesses might be nice to have on the walk, but they might also intrude upon the tranquility, reflection and calm most prized in a proper walk.

A Japanese garden is perhaps the greatest walk humanity has yet created.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by airwave09

Beaver is a great town, but Sewickley has it beat with location and level of "quaintness". The walkability factor is probably similar though.

Great. Thank you. I'll definitely stop by and walk a couple miles of it.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by Copanut

The only bad thing about Beaver is there is no place to get a corporate-chain burger.

Yeah, but there's Wendy's, McDonalds, Subway, and Brighton Hot Dog Shop all right near each other there on 68, technically in Vanport Twp, but it's, you know, walkable....

[GregHenry]

With beauty below me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.

-Navajo chant