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How We Got Into this Mess, and Our Way Out
This document discusses the need to make communities more walkable and sustainable by focusing on active transportation like walking and biking. It notes that simply focusing on traffic issues is not enough and that communities must be designed at a human scale with compact, mixed-use neighborhoods and a connected street network to support alternative transportation options. The document advocates for traditional street patterns and land uses to reduce car dependency and encourage healthier, more livable places.
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How We Got Into this Mess, and Our Way Out
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- 2. By Dan Burden Walkableand Livable Communities Institute Sustainability on the Edge II How We Got Into this Mess, and Our Way Out
- 3. How do wetake the principles of active living, combine them with active transportation and expand our ideas and concepts to achieve a fully sustainable world? Have we reached the precipice yet?
- 4. How do wetake the principles of active living, combine them with active transportation and expand our ideas and concepts to achieve a fully sustainable world? Simple: by waking up, then using our heads, our heart and our feet. The question is will we do this just in the nick of time? Or not?
- 5. Is this thelandscape we want to leave our children?
- 10. What’s Wrong Here? America’sWealthiest County
- 11. What the Community Provided Whatthe Customer Wanted
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- 13. Who we builtfor Who we did not build for
- 14. Who we builtfor Who we did not build for
- 15. The Pedestrian inAmerica has been marginalized compromised to Death
- 16. Thirty percent ofNorth Americans old enough to drive do not drive. This percentage is increasing.
- 17. Choosing a PreferredAlternative Scenario A: Low Density Scenario B: Baseline Scenario C: Walkable Neighborhoods Scenario D: High Infill
- 18. If you cometo a fork in the road, take it.” … Yogi Berra
- 19. If you wantto build a ship. Don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
- 23. West Lafayette, Indiana(Home of Purdue University)
- 24. 1962 – Dr.Paul Dudley White 1977, NEA Conference 1964 1980, First Boulder Conf. 1997 1999 2005 2002-05 2010 1997 Kyoto Treaty 1985--1996
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- 27. Driving more mileseach year (like obesity) is a visible symptom, an indicator of a disease that is running amuck in each of our towns and villages.
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- 31. •Time in car: -All women 64 min/day - Single mothers 75 min/day STPP 2000 From 1969 to 2000, Americans drive: +88% farther to shop +137% farther for errands Women effected most • Mom/Family “chauffeur”
- 32. 2001 National Geographic Magazine Article onSprawl Photo by: Newsday Levittown New York Where are the parks? Where are the trails? Where is the public realm? Where do people gather? How do you go place to place? Where do you buy a popsicle? How does a child visit a friend?
- 33. "If we areto have full use of automobiles, cities must be remade...awaiting industry that will do wonders, for prosperity will spring up when we revamp our cities” …Post Magazine (circa 1930)
- 34. “Abundant sunshine, freshair, fine green parkways will blend together seamlessly with dazzling skyscrapers and seven-lane highways.”
- 36. If it weren’tfor the damn pedestrian there would be no traffic problem in Los Angeles… … circa 1972, Los Angeles Traffic Engineer Compact villages and a strong civilian presence is the only solution to our traffic problems… … circa 1995, San Diego Traffic Engineer
- 37. “A driveable future.An auto company has a new design competition to imagine a future city that is car-friendly” (June 28, 2010)
- 38. “Automobiles are oftenconveniently tagged as the villains responsible for the ills of cities and the disappointments and futilities of city planning. But the destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building. The simple needs of automobiles are more easily understood and satisfied than the complex needs of cities, and a growing number of planners and designers have come to believe that if they can only solve the problems of traffic, they will thereby have solved the major problems of cities. Cities have much more intricate economic and social concerns than automobile traffic. How can you know what to try with traffic until you know how the city itself works, and what else it needs to do with its streets? You can't.” Jane Jacobs, Death and Life of Great American Cities , 1961 “How can you know what to try with traffic until ….”
- 39. ConventionalApproach System Management More Pavement MoreLanes MoreRoads ITS MoreCars More Car-Carrying Capacity Lateral Approach User Viewand Comfort Context-Sensitive Design Traffic Calming Personal Security Intensify land use densities Promote Mixed Use Development Transit Supportive Development Demand Management – Pricing, e-commerce, telecommuting, etc… Lane Limits Change Standards Shift Policy Transit Bicycling Walking HOV/HOT Lanes A Balanced Transportation Approach
- 40. Widen Road Reduce Delay Reduce Cost FIRST ORDER Move Home Range Farther Drive Home Own More Cars SECOND ORDER Move Business Move Jobs Mega Boxes More Strip MoreLane Miles New Construction THIRD ORDER Chain of Impacts
- 43. Surgeon General’s Report 21%US citizens ages 9- 17 have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment
- 44. Depressive Disorders 19 millionAmerican adults • Leading cause of disability in the USA • Treatment: • Medication • Social Contact, including therapy • And…..
- 45. “What is thefirst thing an infant wants to do and the last thing an older person wants to give up?”
- 46. A walkability planmust set a stage for all other modes of transportation to work, including transit. If people cannot walk then transit remains ineffective. “What is the first thing an infant wants to do and the last thing an older person wants to give up?” Walking is the exercise that does not need a gym. It is the prescription without medicine, the weight control without diet, and the cosmetic that can’t be found in a chemist. It is the tranquilizer without a pill, the therapy without a psychoanalyst, and the holiday that does not cost a penny. What’s more, it does not pollute, consumes few natural resources and is highly efficient. Walking is convenient, it needs no special equipment, is self-regulating and inherently safe. .”
- 47. Vehicle miles traveled(VMT) around the U.S. have increased by 70 percent over the last 20 years, compared with a two percent increase in new highway construction. The U.S. General Accounting Office predicts that road congestion in the U.S. will triple in 15 years even if capacity is increased by 20 percent. Traffic is growing about five times faster than the growth in population. (Data compiled for a report to the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2006 written by Stephen Polzin, (transportation researcher at the University of South Florida in Tampa.) Why we cannot build our way out of traffic
- 48. The World is Changing Expect: OptionOne: 25% more traffic every ten years. More intersections failing. More people spreading out into canyons, ridges and other high risk locations. Also Expect: More cars per household Limited new lanes and limits on intersections being rebuilt More demand for slowing traffic More demand for traffic to stay in motion More demand for safer streets More demand for quieter streets
- 49. Option Two: Return toTraditional streets and land uses More connectivity More walking, bicycling and transit People living closer to services, shorter trips by time and distance More funding for well located engine houses Improved and more appropriate equipment More ways to respond Fewer personal injury auto crashes
- 50. The simple needsof automobiles are more easily understood and satisfied than the complex needs of cities, and a growing number of planners and designers have come to believe that if they can only solve the problems of traffic, they will thereby have solved the major problems of cities. Following that philosophy led to this, redundantly. A new beaker and measure will lead to this.
- 52. New measure forstreet performance: People come to your street to shoot their wedding pictures
- 53. "If we wanta booming economy of mom and pop stores, we'd better build the environment where they succeed”
- 55. Build Villages,Not Traffic • Right Pattern, Right Form, Right Scale, Right Density • Circulation System and Connectivity • Focus on Access, not Mobility. • Seamless switching from mode to mode in all places Sustainable Future
- 56. Quality Of Life In building facilitiesto accommodate cars……we often forget about the people
- 57. As we ageour need for association will continue to grow
- 60. As we ageaccess to healthy foods will be critical
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- 74. Narrow streets Short blocks Tightcorner radii Great plazas Beautiful buildings Limited parking Built by Pirates OldTown, KeyWest, Florida
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- 77. If Cities areto reduce auto-dependence a working alternative should include: Developers no longer block access to those places people want to reach.
- 79. © Citizen PlannerInstitute Before and After Espanola Way, circa 1986
- 84. Not Walkable Walkable HighCar Dependency Low Car Dependency Serious Congestion Moderate Congestion
- 86. Based on the1928 drawings by James Perry The intensity of uses should gravitate away from the neighborhood center Townhouses frame the square while open space provides an outdoor environment for nearby residents The largest lots of the TND can be at the edge In these cases where a TND is bordered by a principal street higher intensity uses such as medium density housing can be used in creating the edge Civic buildings Should be terminate street or open space vistas
- 87. Personal choices ofwhere to sit or recreate are not accidental. Balance of sun and shade are determinant in active and passive activities. In warm climates like Florida, shade is a critical asset to the comfortable year round use of a space. Why are these the only three empty tables at this restaurant? Why did this person choose this spot?
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- 90. Make blocks a walkablesize: block perimeters of 1,500’ to 2,000’ create a connected network of streets
- 91. Design for amix of land uses: Centers include denser housing, a square, civic uses, and neighborhood- oriented retail. Civic Buildings Neighborhood Centers Parks and Open Spaces
- 93. Internal Trips 100% External Trips 100% InternalTrips 60-90%
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- 95. Connectivity: Effective Network 12% ofthe Total Network is “Effective” CrabappleRd. Hembree Rd. 400 N 735 miles of roads
- 96. Connectivity Requirements Compact AreaType for Network Additions • Link-Node Ratio of 1.6 or greater • One external connection as well as an additional external connection and stub-out per 50 links or fraction thereof Virg
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- 101. Meriam Park, Chico,California
- 103. If Cities areto reduce auto- dependence a working alternative should include: Buildings no longer “moon” the street
- 108. Density with Design 1980s& 90s: Density, but… Dover Kohl & Partners
- 109. Density with Design InNew Projects: Maintain the Relationship of Building and the Street Dover Kohl & Partners
- 110. Density with Design InNew Projects: Make the Streets Good Neighbors Dover Kohl & Partners
- 111. Density with Design InNew Projects: Promote the Street as an Amenity, and Inspire Investment Dover Kohl & Partners
- 112. Well Designed Density Urban-Advantage.com Whatare the problems here? Lack of Security Lack of people Lack of investment Auto dependence No place to buy a popsicle Lack of diversity Lack of activity Lack of diversity
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- 118. DOWNTOWN STRIP CORRIDOR SHOPPING CENTERS Investment moves to Investment movesto Freeway Corridor Courtesy of Michael Freedman
- 119. Falling out ofFavor: Linear Strip format
- 120. The Illustrative Plan(above) is the result of this planning process; it shows the hypothetical buildout of the corridor, locating building footprints (new and existing), open space, and parking areas. The corridor was divided into four study areas, the Western Gateway, the Neighborhood Center, the Village Center, and the Town Center. Each area has it’s own unique characteristics and challenges which were addressed. Quick sketches were done to study buildings that would result from the hypothetical building footprints in the Illustrative Plan, combined with the proposed height limits in the study areas and potential architectural regulations of the new code. each street, which corresponds to written code regulations.
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- 122. High Gate Village- Former Strip Mall
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- 127. It’s Not WhatYou Think It Is.
- 128. 11-12 du/a net8-10du/a net
- 129. Land Use PatternAffects Travel Higher Density can reduce Vehicle Trips 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 Trips/Household(ADT) Density in Units/Acre Source: John Holtzclaw, PhD, Sierra Club Vehicle Trips Walking Trips Significant reduction in VMT as we go from 3-4 units/acre to over 20 units/acre 6-7 du/a 7-10 du/a 11-18 du/a 2-3 du/a 20 du/a
- 130. Vancouver now hasso much density that there is no comparison until you travel to Asia … to Beijing, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. As Vancouver has built itself into the one city in the “Most Livable City in the World” …Vehicle Miles Per Day (VPD) is declining. Registered car Virtually all growth occurred in brown fields, industrial yards, old rail yards. Virtually all former single family homes are still in place. Loved, cared for, and worth a
- 140. Street and Trail Division Shore line Groundlevel retail 70-90% transparency Housing above street 60-90% transparency Eyes on Trail
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- 143. Marine Drive, Dundarave,B.C. Highway 93, Missoula, Montana USA Canada
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- 147. • Complete Streets, •Green Streets, • Context Sensitive Design • LEED for Neighborhood Design • Healthy Streets Terms Describing Streets of the Future
- 148. Above Where wouldyou rather walk? Where would you rather bike? Which is the safest place to bike? Or Below Where would you rather drive? Where would you rather live? Which is the safest place to drive?
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- 151. Grandview Drive ,University Place, WA (33 mph Average Speed)
- 152. Street Design Manual Streets Pay Their Way ThroughIncreased Land Value Increased Land Values New Maintenance Funds Holistic Use of Streets Complete Streets Green Streets
- 153. TWO WOLVES One eveningan old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. "One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. "The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
- 155. Where There’s Opposition There NeedsTo Be Courage
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- 159. The Cycle ofStrip Development Land Use Planning INPUTS •Auto Oriented Business •Single Use Zoning •Single Family Residential GROWTH OUTCOMES •Isolated Neighborhoods •Multiple Automobile Trips •Poor Mobility •Difficult Walking Transportation Planning INPUTS •Traffic Demand Forecasting •Congestion GROWTH OUTCOMES •Wider Roads •Induced Traffic •More Traffic
- 160. Breaking The Cycleof Strip Development Land Use Planning GROWTH OUTCOMES •Increased Mobility •More Walking & Bicycling •Increased Access •Sustainable •Prosperity OUTCOMES •Healthy Neighborhoods •Choices of Transportation •More Open Space •Sense of Place •Sense of Community •Age-in-Place Friendly INPUTS •Diversity of Business •Mixed Use Zoning •Diversity of Residential Units •Context Sensitive Solutions •Community Involvement Transportation Planning Community Planning