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Old 07-26-2011, 11:02 PM
 
1,816 posts, read 3,018,213 times
Reputation: 774

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slig View Post
Tired and recycled critiques of the walkscore website aside, I think the more interesting discussion in this topic is in finding ways that we can improve the "walkability" of the city.
For my family eliminating car-dependancy is a more important issue than walkability, although I would say that to a large extent the two are related. Even if there aren't a ton of places to reach within a couple blocks of where you live, having the ability to easily hop on a bus or train or take a pleasant and safe bike route to get to where you want to go is huge. For me, improving public transportation access and increasing the number of designated bike lanes and separate bike routes is key. Also, increasing population density of an area will almost always make the area more walkable as the area will then support more and more specialized local businesses. It would be improving these areas that would make Minneapolis more pedestrian-friendly...although overall I'd say it's already pretty good here.
This. I think that expanding transportation options, with walking included, is what we need. I think expanding bike lanes throughout the city and improving public transportation is necessary first. I think that can help improve density by bringing more people into the city. That will help improve walkability when more niche shops flock in to supply the increased population.

Quote:
Originally Posted by radicalcar
Next thing to do is improve public transportation, but very carefully(hard to explain). Example, for areas not next to a park/lake or something, get public transportation there so the residents can have access to parks, so in the end, no matter what neighborhood you live in, you'll have easy access to a park. So a family or someone that wants a park close by won't be limited with only the neighborhoods that have parks, since no matter where you live you'll be able to just hop on a bus or something and get to a park quickly and easily if you happen to not live close to a park. Hopefully people understand what I am trying to say.
I think getting people to things other than parks should be a bigger priority. I believe the city says that nobody is further than 6 blocks from a city park. I was surprised and tried to look at a map. No matter where in the city I was, I couldn't find a place that wasn't six blocks from a park. Most were shorter distances than that.
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Old 07-27-2011, 01:44 AM
 
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
2,072 posts, read 5,047,470 times
Reputation: 886
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrex View Post
I think getting people to things other than parks should be a bigger priority. I believe the city says that nobody is further than 6 blocks from a city park. I was surprised and tried to look at a map. No matter where in the city I was, I couldn't find a place that wasn't six blocks from a park. Most were shorter distances than that.
Thats true, I was just using parks as an example in my post.
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Old 07-27-2011, 07:03 AM
 
Location: Minnesota
987 posts, read 3,809,489 times
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Nicer areas for just hanging out would be a great start.

1) Restrict automobile traffic into downtown.

2) Transform noisy and busy streets into calmer gathering areas.

3) Reduce traffic lanes and increase sidewalk patio space.

4) Increase bus, boat, and rail options to the city from other areas of the Twincities.

5) Increase the number of protected bicycle lanes in the city.

6) Relax regulations on street vendors.

7) Add a green strip through the city.

8) Install more public art.

9) Create more multi use buildings. Residential on the upper floors and small storefronts on the lower.

10) Destroy the Metrodome.
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Old 07-27-2011, 07:17 AM
 
Location: Minneapolis, MN
10,244 posts, read 16,315,167 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kuan View Post
Nicer areas for just hanging out would be a great start.
4) Increase bus, boat, and rail options to the city from other areas of the Twincities.
Boat options to the city? What did you have in mind? I really like the river taxis used to get around downtown Chicago. I suppose there are certain parts of the Mississippi between Minneapolis and St. Paul where this could be done...it'd probably have to start somewhere after St. Anthony Falls though...
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Old 07-27-2011, 03:22 PM
 
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
2,072 posts, read 5,047,470 times
Reputation: 886
Quote:
Originally Posted by kuan View Post
5) Increase the number of protected bicycle lanes in the city.

6) Relax regulations on street vendors.

7) Add a green strip through the city.

8) Install more public art.

9) Create more multi use buildings. Residential on the upper floors and small storefronts on the lower.

10) Destroy the Metrodome.
I agree with these, and I like number 10, the metrodome is a giant eyesore, but theres so much other controversial stuff that goes along with a new stadium.

Green Strip, public art, relaxing regulations on street buildings would be awesome, and multi use buildings would be a fairly good use of space.
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Old 07-27-2011, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Twin Cities
5,833 posts, read 7,676,415 times
Reputation: 8867
There are a number of very interesting ideas here, but if the objective of this exercise is to think of ways to improve the walkability index, don't we have to think in terms of walking to and from places? I am not terribly familiar with the index, so I may make some bad assumptions here. From the few times I've seen it, the index seems to measure how easy it is to walk from a certain fixed point-- usually, it seems to me, a residence is being referenced by a realtor-- to places, like stores, coffee shops etc. Since there are a fixed number of starting places in the city, then don't you have to increase the number of places that are being walked to in order to shorten the distances? That doesnt seem to practical. The only other thing I think of that might be a variable would be barriers like highways or railroad tracks. Of that is the case, then pedestrian bridges or tunnels would improve the index. I doubt that the infrastructure expenditures necessary to do that could be justified, though. Maybe I am missing something about this.
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