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But for all of the other business types examined, bikers actually out-consumed drivers over the course of a month. True, they often spent less per visit. But cyclists and pedestrians in particular made more frequent trips (by their own estimation) to these restaurants, bars and convenience stores, and those receipts added up. This finding is logical: It’s a lot easier to make an impulse pizza stop if you’re passing by an aromatic restaurant on foot or bike instead of in a passing car at 35 miles an hour. Such frequent visits are part of the walkable culture. Compare European communities – where it's common to hit the bakery, butcher and fish market on the way home from work – to U.S. communities where the weekly drive to Walmart’s supermarket requires an hour of dedicated planning.
Cyclists tend to be younger people who have no children (moi) and disposable income to blow (or sometimes older people with empty nests and money to blow). I'm not sure it's so much the fact that they're on bikes that causes them to spend more than it is that young, single people go out more under any circumstances. And bicycles can be really expensive so it's not a great surprise to me that cyclists in cutesy, walkable neighborhoods blow $5 a day on a fair trade cup of coffee.
Cyclists tend to be younger people who have no children (moi) and disposable income to blow (or sometimes older people with empty nests and money to blow). I'm not sure it's so much the fact that they're on bikes that causes them to spend more than it is that young, single people go out more under any circumstances. And bicycles can be really expensive so it's not a great surprise to me that cyclists in cutesy, walkable neighborhoods blow $5 a day on a fair trade cup of coffee.
It is true though that if I am driving and go past a pizza place or something I probably will just skip it, but if I am walking by it is much more tempting. There can be a little more of an element of impulse. On the other hand if I am carrying a bunch of stuff on my walk back home, I might be less likely to pop into a store to browse than if I had a car because I would have to carry all of my stuff in with me instead of leaving it in the trunk.
But generally I think it is true that business owners overestimate how many people drive vs. walk to their store. I think it is even more magnified in Los Angeles, where people just assume you drove.
Culture might have some influence, but unless immigrants are the entire city's population, I don't think they can shape the urban form all that much. Maybe the type of housing style, but the culture and construction is usually controlled by groups more in established power than first generation immigrants.
Though, I've wondered if Los Angeles is now more interested in transit and pro-urban after white flight and becoming majority hispanic.
I do think a lot of it is the large hispanic and asian population (as well as foreign investors, notably South Korean this past decade) which are pushing a lot of new developments.
It is true though that if I am driving and go past a pizza place or something I probably will just skip it, but if I am walking by it is much more tempting. There can be a little more of an element of impulse.
That is a good point. Though I'm extremely frugal and do not (and will not) spend money frivolously. And I'm also super paranoid about bike theft so I rarely ever make stops when biking.
Those are fair representations. LA's streets are wider in general, but my point is that the relative wideness of LA's streets do not detract from the pedestrian experience for me. None of those streets are difficult to cross. But maybe that's just me. Maybe someone used to an east coast city may be a little more particular.
For me, my negatives for walkabililty in LA would be that everything is so linear (if that's the right word). LA is designed so that businesses/retail follow main corridors, with very little between those corridors. Maybe most cities are the same, but here those corridors are often 1/2 mile apart. Seems a little farther than ideal.
A lot of people have nice bikes, my bike is more expensive than the last clunker car I had for instance. In a city bikes can be quite a bit more useful plus you get good exercise.
A lot of people have nice bikes, my bike is more expensive than the last clunker car I had for instance. In a city bikes can be quite a bit more useful plus you get good exercise.
If I had a bike that expensive, I wouldn't want to use as a city bike. I'd be afraid it'd get stolen.
LA and NOLA looks alot dirtier than Miami. And, Miami is going through another possible big building boom in the near future, since its e onomy is slowing getting better. Miami is perhaps the most dynamic city of the 3 given its youth and how far along its come. Miami is the only major tropical city in the US and its location and status as an international city can only make it go up.
Miami, despite lacking in the most important areas (education, infrastructure, science/technology, etc...) is still on the same stratosphere as ATL, HOU, and DAL. So, you can only imagine how much better they would be if they become solid in these fields. They would be a sure fire world class city. NOLA certainly doesn't have that kind of potential and LA although a world class city, I just see Miami more dynamic considering its youth and how far along they come. LA was established earlier so of corse they are gonna be the bigger city. Common sense.
Yeah, really is only on Broad south of Washington, more a South Philly thing
I've seen it in Northwest Philly too. I think it exists in Center City, but I'd have to really think about it.
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