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Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RocketSci
I think a good part of LA is "suckily walkable" - there are sidewalks, and a high average density, and a few people walking, and good walking weather - but so much of the streetscape is so spread out or built car-centric that even what seem like the most pleasantly walkable areas are more "destinations" than live-work-play areas - plenty of parking spots - while much of the rest is a strip center here, an office there, a parking lot/ramp, etc.
The example of Wilshire Boulevard - was that supposed to be a good or bad example of walkability? There are good sections, but huge empty gaps near the VA and the golf courses, and walking through the office parks doesn't seem that appealing for walking. https://goo.gl/maps/iTBBZqB4jXz8sDdG6 https://goo.gl/maps/BkdekpbnN9cYSfFJA
This is so true about LA. But let the boosters tell you it's a walking urban paradise. I like how the city has made strides with Metro expansion and infill stations, and you can technically walk much of Central LA on sidewalks, but it's certainly not a first tier "walkable" city.
Houston has to be up there for this one.. It's quite dense in terms of population with a lot of multifamily housing. However it also tends to have frequently missing sidewalks, very wide and busy roads with crazy drivers, amenities spread out over a very large area, and public transit that is just okay. Not to mention that for a good chunk of the year the climate is brutal for walking outside.
My (admittedly biased and perhaps flawed) mental image of inner loop Houston is a lot of this type of development. Very dense housing but also clearly car oriented.
Left side of the image tract density is over 31k, on the right its over 52k. Shows that density does not always equal walkability.
(My first neighborhood when I moved to Houston back in the 80s was right behind where this image was taken on Elm Street. It was even rougher back then, when Houston was the murder capital and shotgun-toting security guards walked in pairs at some complexes. Ah, those were the days...)
Left side of the image tract density is over 31k, on the right its over 52k. Shows that density does not always equal walkability.
(My first neighborhood when I moved to Houston back in the 80s was right behind where this image was taken on Elm Street. It was even rougher back then, when Houston was the murder capital and shotgun-toting security guards walked in pairs at some complexes. Ah, those were the days...)
I feel that overall, Baltimore is a pretty walkable city thanks to it's extensive grid layout and the fact that the city isn't massive.
Neighborhoods that are within the "L" of Baltimore (Fells Point, Fed Hill, Canton, Highlandtown, Harbor East, Mt Vernon, Midtown, etc.) are no doubt the most walkable neighborhoods in the city. Outside of the L, most neighborhoods have a small to medium-sized commercial corridor but they lack the variety of businesses that help central neighborhoods prosper. There are a few exceptions.
However, there are a handful of revitalization projects going on outside of the L (Perkins Homes, Reservoir Hill, Park Heights, Northwood, and Pigtown to name a few). Baltimore's walkability will continue to improve.
Downtown is a special case. While there has been a huge population growth downtown, the walkability is low. There's so many wide, one-way streets and not much retail.
Does weather factor into walkability?!?! If so then Chicago and Minneapolis are dense but not walkable. On the flip side, Las Vegas and Phoenix probably count too.
Are Charleston SC, Savannah, and Key West considered not so dense? If so they are still very walkable.
True walkability means going between neighborhoods, and neighborhoods that slowly blend into the next one as you walk.
NY, Chicago, Boston, SF, DC, Seattle, and Philly generally meet this definition, as do many small-medium sized cities, particularly college towns.
LA has a lot of great walkable areas, but you can't really walk from downtown to Hollywood, or even to Los Feliz.
Some cities density is also understated. Portland's is because of hills and the airport, Denver's is because of the airport, and New Orleans is because of the large swampy area in New Orleans East is within city limits. French Quarter through Uptown along the streetcar line is very walkable and goes for a few miles.
I walk all over Miami and Miami Beach. I suppose that my feet don't know what they are doing? I also bike all over it through CitiBike bike share. Again, not sure that my feet have gotten the memo that they shouldn't be able to do that.
Does weather factor into walkability?!?! If so then Chicago and Minneapolis are dense but not walkable. On the flip side, Las Vegas and Phoenix probably count too.
Are Charleston SC, Savannah, and Key West considered not so dense? If so they are still very walkable.
Well weather is subjective. Some people wouldn't bother to walk in the Phoenix heat. The extreme cold (which doesn't last that long) in Mpls and Chicago isn't enough to make them not walkable.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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And ditto for Brickell; Midtown/Wynwood/Design District and other neighborhoods ….as posted by someone earlier the problem THEY or OTHERS have with Miami is NOT that is not walkable within a number of different neighborhoods but that it loses points for lack of interconnectivity between the various walkable neighborhoods (though, if you are like me with Brickell in Miami Beach, you probably spend 80%+ of your time there in your 95-99% walkable neighborhood).
Quote:
Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl
I walk all over Miami and Miami Beach. I suppose that my feet don't know what they are doing? I also bike all over it through CitiBike bike share. Again, not sure that my feet have gotten the memo that they shouldn't be able to do that.
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