Are walkability and urban living important to real life Yinzers? (Dormont: hair salon, neighborhood)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I’m not sure those writing off walkability and urbanity as a concern for yinzers are considering the outrage caused by the possibility of losing a grocery in Bloomfield or of the actual uprooting and relocation iof low income residents from East Liberty’s core to other neighborhoods. Walkability and/or public transit access are absolutely important to many “yinzers”, who I am taking to mean long time Pittsburgh residents.

^ This. There aren't many yinzers left in Polish Hill these days, but the ones who remain were indeed saddened when our neighborhood market went out of business. I think MANY people---yinzer or transplant alike---appreciate walkability.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by Space_League

Carrying a week's worth of groceries over the icy, hilly streets of January Pittsburgh doesn't sound like something anyone would want to do for more than a couple of blocks.

I'm the dude walking around with the granny buggy when I walk or take the bus to the strip. Highly recommend one.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I’m not sure those writing off walkability and urbanity as a concern for yinzers are considering the outrage caused by the possibility of losing a grocery in Bloomfield or of the actual uprooting and relocation iof low income residents from East Liberty’s core to other neighborhoods. Walkability and/or public transit access are absolutely important to many “yinzers”, who I am taking to mean long time Pittsburgh residents.

Exactly, walkability is an expected norm in a lot of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and when threatened it is a major concern.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

^ This. I mean I walk from Polish Hill to Bloomfield, the Strip, and Lawrenceville for many of my needs. Meanwhile I think it was Eschaton in the past who said something like the majority of people only consider 1/4-mile or less to be "walkable". How lazy are we becoming?

But you're also saying that as a young, healthy, man. What's easy and important for you with regards to walkability isn't necessarily a priority for other people. A mother with small children may not want to walk two miles to a store with her kids along. A senior with arthritis might value being close to the pharmacy and grocery store. A woman might not feel safe walking next to a busy road late at night. Part of seeing accessibility is recognizing that it means different things for different people, and isn't about laziness. It's not a competition about who can walk 5 miles to get coffee.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

But you're also saying that as a young, healthy, man. What's easy and important for you with regards to walkability isn't necessarily a priority for other people. A mother with small children may not want to walk two miles to a store with her kids along. A senior with arthritis might value being close to the pharmacy and grocery store. A woman might not feel safe walking next to a busy road late at night. Part of seeing accessibility is recognizing that it means different things for different people, and isn't about laziness. It's not a competition.

Well if the qualifier is that a Pittsburgher is only in a walkable domicile if their daily needs can be met within a walk of 1/4-mile or less, then how many Pittsburghers truly live in that sort of environment? If that sort of environment is in sky-high demand, then why isn't the city targeting more semi-walkable or "bones to be semi-walkable" areas in this city for redevelopment instead of cramming it all into the same few neighborhoods like Shadyside, East Liberty, and the Strip District?

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Well if the qualifier is that a Pittsburgher is only in a walkable domicile if their daily needs can be met within a walk of 1/4-mile or less, then how many Pittsburghers truly live in that sort of environment? If that sort of environment is in sky-high demand, then why isn't the city targeting more semi-walkable or "bones to be semi-walkable" areas in this city for redevelopment instead of cramming it all into the same few neighborhoods like Shadyside, East Liberty, and the Strip District?

That kind of development needs to come up from the neighborhood residents, it isn't imposed by the city. Areas like Shadyside and East Liberty have a vocal community lobbying for these amenities.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Well if the qualifier is that a Pittsburgher is only in a walkable domicile if their daily needs can be met within a walk of 1/4-mile or less, then how many Pittsburghers truly live in that sort of environment? If that sort of environment is in sky-high demand, then why isn't the city targeting more semi-walkable or "bones to be semi-walkable" areas in this city for redevelopment instead of cramming it all into the same few neighborhoods like Shadyside, East Liberty, and the Strip District?

In order to have a thriving commercial district in the modern era, you basically need to have one of two things.

1. Have lots of people from outside the neighborhood travel there because it's the "it place." The issue with that is in a city like Pittsburgh, a lot of those people will be driving, which creates parking problems. Happened to South Side first, and now Lawrenceville.

2. Have a high enough population density that local foot traffic is enough to stimulate demand in the business district. In the modern era, this means you need significant levels of density - apartment buildings and the like - within a close distance of the business district.

A lot of the "semi-walkable" zones of Pittsburgh just don't have the population needed to fill in the business district within walking distance. Bryant Street on Highland Park is a good example of this. The area around it is very gentrified (houses sell for $350,000-$550,000 in that zone) but the three-block span of commercial activity has vacant grassy lots, seemingly abandoned buildings, and the single new-construction apartment from a few years back still has over half the commercial space empty on the first floor. Highland Park just doesn't have enough people to sustain a three-block business district - it needs more apartment buildings. Of course, there's nowhere to put them, so it's just sort of stuck in the current position with only incremental improvements.

[Goinback2011]

As time goes on, the only brick and mortar establishments in a little business district will be restaurants and bars. It's mostly that way now.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by Goinback2011

As time goes on, the only brick and mortar establishments in a little business district will be restaurants and bars. It's mostly that way now.

I was going to add that most neighborhoods used to have a small grocery where you could get the essentials. I remember walking from my childhood home to the small business district on Shadeland avenue to go to Peggy Ann's store for candy and whatever but they had milk, bread and canned goods as well. These little stores were everywhere, not any more.

[xdv8]

Originally Posted by norcider

I was going to add that most neighborhoods used to have a small grocery where you could get the essentials. I remember walking from my childhood home to the small business district on Shadeland avenue to go to Peggy Ann's store for candy and whatever but they had milk, bread and canned goods as well. These little stores were everywhere, not any more.

I have a convenience store a few blocks from my home that sells all of that. What do you mean?