Talk:Lentis/Pedestrians and Walkability in Cities and Suburbs

Lentis Outline/Research: Pedestrians and Walkability in Cities and Suburbs

People/Theories:
 * Jeff Speck: Theory of Walkability in Cities (core principle that can be referenced)
 * Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - argued that chaos in cities and interaction was better than regulated zoning and structure; more organic; mixed-use, less rational
 * Andres Duany: New Urbanism movement

Key Concepts:
 * Transit Oriented Development
 * Transit Time Map (Measuring Walkability)
 * Suburban Sprawl: propagation of single occupancy vehicles
 * Eisenhower’s Federal Interstate Highway Act
 * Levittown: Idealization of “American Dream” of single family homes after WWII

Public Transportation: Walkable Areas:
 * How integrated is public transportation?
 * Bike to train station, train to airport, etc.
 * Fast, safe, affordable
 * Bike Sharing Programs (European, Chinese, American)
 * Pedestrian only areas like the Downtown Mall
 * Paid parking: limits car use, encourages biking and walking
 * New Urbanism:
 * Traditional grid layout to promote walkability
 * Towns with grocery store, restaurants, theaters, etc. that are all walkable from neighborhoods
 * Contrary to traditional suburbs with cul-de-sacs and neighborhoods that require cars to get to local parks, playing fields, etc.
 * Urban Growth Boundary:
 * Hard line to edge of cities that allows for immediate access to nature/countryside outside of city
 * Encourages dense, walkable city design
 * Access to trails for hiking/biking

Example Locations:
 * Leiden, Netherlands: hard city boundary (old city wall ruins), walking/biking dependence for daily errands (no central goods producer)
 * Greenbelt, MD
 * Davis, CA: homes built facing collective green space; driveway at rear of house; small streets with greenery buffer
 * Radburn, NJ
 * Portland, OR: walkable town squares; dedication to light rail; urban growth boundary
 * Vancouver, Canada: stacked skyscrapers set back from low-level building on the street
 * Bakken, Denmark
 * The High Line, Manhattan: encourages walking, art, and nature in lower Manhattan
 * Boulder, CO