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^^Hell, yes! In my neighborhood, no matter when one goes out for a walk, there are others out walking; walking their dogs, walking their kids in a stroller, or just walking themselves. It's a great way to catch up with the neighbors.
You need to be specific about what kind of suburb you're vilifying at the moment,
I'm not villifying anything. Just making observations.
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
because people can and do walk in my suburb, and in every other suburb I've ever lived in, and they can and do walk around in the residential neighborhoods.
True. You may see the odd person out walking their dog or something but generally people don't walk much if at all in residential areas. On certain days such as the 4th of July half the neighborhood might even be outside enjoying the fireworks and celebrate the holiday but those are exceptions. The rule being, people don't walk much if at all in these areas.
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
If I'm to walk to the produce market a few blocks away, for instance - or to the diner or the donut place or the barbecue restaurant or the convenience store or my dentist or the dry cleaners or the grocery store or the zoo or the state driver's license place or the beauty parlor or the guy who fixes my computer or the thrift shop or the liquor store or the butcher shop - how the hell do I get there if I don't walk through the residential neighborhood first?
You don't (walk). You drive.
Because in heavily zoned areas things are spread out too far apart to comfortably walk, with few exceptions.
If I'm to walk to the produce market a few blocks away, for instance - or to the diner or the donut place or the barbecue restaurant or the convenience store or my dentist or the dry cleaners or the grocery store or the zoo or the state driver's license place or the beauty parlor or the guy who fixes my computer or the thrift shop or the liquor store or the butcher shop - how the hell do I get there if I don't walk through the residential neighborhood first?
Sounds like you live in a walkable neighborhood, unlike the suburban neighborhoods built in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s where you can walk in the neighborhood all you want, but zoning is so segregated that it makes it near impossible to walk to anything else other than residential places in a convenient manner.
I'm not villifying anything. Just making observations.
You need to get out more if you've observed no one walking in a suburb.
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True. You may see the odd person
Nothing odd about them. In my neighborhood, it's rare to see no one on the sidewalks during the day.
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You don't (walk). You drive.
No. You walk when all those things I mentioned are within five or six blocks of your house. Even if you're walking through five or six residential blocks to get there.
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Because in heavily zoned areas things are spread out too far apart to comfortably walk, with few exceptions.
Again, you need to get out more. Not all suburbs are "spread out". All those places I mentioned are clustered within two or three blocks of one another, and four or five blocks from my house.
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Originally Posted by urbanlife78
Sounds like you live in a walkable neighborhood, unlike the suburban neighborhoods built in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s where you can walk in the neighborhood all you want, but zoning is so segregated that it makes it near impossible to walk to anything else other than residential places in a convenient manner.
That's why I'm saying - and what some people refuse to believe - that not all suburbs are alike. Not even those built after 1970. Not every suburban neighborhood is a cul-de-sac built in a disconnected cornfield attached only to a busy six-lane street.
With no sidewalks.
Generalizations about suburbs - or about anything, really - make for a poor argument.
That's why I'm saying - and what some people refuse to believe - that not all suburbs are alike. Not even those built after 1970. Not every suburban neighborhood is a cul-de-sac built in a disconnected cornfield attached only to a busy six-lane street.
With no sidewalks.
Generalizations about suburbs - or about anything, really - make for a poor argument.
Of course not all suburbs are alike, but the majority of them in this country are cul-de-sac suburbs that have poor walking connections, with large roads surrounding each suburban neighborhood, and zoning extremely segregated. You can find this type of suburban area in just about any city in this country.
Sure you can find suburban neigborhoods that have easy access to nearby commercial that makes it easy for one to walk to, but those are not common neighborhoods in the suburbs, but they should be.
You need to get out more if you've observed no one walking in a suburb.
Nothing odd about them. In my neighborhood, it's rare to see no one on the sidewalks during the day.
If you live in the area I think you do, you're living in an area built mostly before cars were common with densities that among the highest urban neighborhood densities in Ohio (but definitely not eastern Pennsylvania). I don't want to get into a city/suburb definition debate, but where you live has little in common with most newer suburbs
If you live in the area I think you do, you're living in an area built mostly before cars were common with densities that among the highest urban neighborhood densities in Ohio (but definitely not eastern Pennsylvania). I don't want to get into a city/suburb definition debate, but where you live has little in common with most newer suburbs
"most newer suburbs"? Do you really think that "most newer suburbs" across the country are alike? Here in the Wild West, "most newer suburbs", meaning built since about 1960 onward, have housing built on small lots, well under 1/4 acre, multi-family housing, sidewalks, parks and open space, and believe it or not, people do not have to drive 10 miles to go to the grocery store. A grocery is usually on of the first businesses to move in to a new development.
"most newer suburbs"? Do you really think that "most newer suburbs" across the country are alike? Here in the Wild West, "most newer suburbs", meaning built since about 1960 onward, have housing built on small lots, well under 1/4 acre, multi-family housing, sidewalks, parks and open space, and believe it or not, people do not have to drive 10 miles to go to the grocery store. A grocery is usually on of the first businesses to move in to a new development.
Most newer suburbs do not have most people living within 1/2 mile of a business district, nor census tract densities above 10k/sq mile (or higher with a couple of 15k/sq mile). This town I'm describing is not composed mostly of detached houses. Umm, few suburbs anywhere have people living 10 miles from a grocery store. Perhaps there are newer suburbs similar to the place I think OhioGirl81 is describing. I doubt there more than a few. Anything like this:
"most newer suburbs"? Do you really think that "most newer suburbs" across the country are alike? Here in the Wild West, "most newer suburbs", meaning built since about 1960 onward, have housing built on small lots, well under 1/4 acre, multi-family housing, sidewalks, parks and open space, and believe it or not, people do not have to drive 10 miles to go to the grocery store. A grocery is usually on of the first businesses to move in to a new development.
I wish suburbs from 1960 to today were built like this, there wouldn't be an issue if this were the case, but I have been in too many suburbs across this country which suggests they have not been built like how you are suggesting.
In the past decade there has been changes to the types of suburban development options as more people prefer neighborhoods with things within walking distances.
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