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Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

strongtowns.org

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Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#11

Post by _m8fo »

itaris wrote: post #6
_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

Interesting, what would incentivize people to live there, as opposed to the city?

I'm still figuring that one out, hah. I think if the culture was strong enough and public transportation was "perfected" within the cofines of the 100acres people might gravitate their under normal market pressure.

Otherwise I guess you could just make it cheap. For those reading -- what would incentivize you?

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#13

Post by oftenwrong »

_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

Something like this maybe?

http://www.andrewalexanderprice.com/blog20151203.php

Also, Amsterdam is creating a new neighbourhood like that:

https://nltimes.nl/2017/11/23/amsterdam-set-build-massive-ne...

>The goal for Haven-Stad is to have everything within walking or cycling distance. "As a resident you can bring your children to school on foot or by bicycle and you can work around the corner", the city said.

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#14

Post by jrs95 »

itaris wrote: post #6
_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

Interesting, what would incentivize people to live there, as opposed to the city?

White flight

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#15

Post by crispyambulance »

_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

That concept has already been implemented. Urban planners who practice it call it "new urbanism".

It has been a mixed bag, but is better than the "malls-connected-by-highways" approach of many suburban development s.

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#16

Post by andys627 »

_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

Yeah there are tons of 100-500 acre subdivision projects - surprising none of them are for this type of city. It would be like a new age streetcar suburb.

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#17

Post by andys627 »

itaris wrote: post #6
_m8fo wrote: post #5

I've often wondered why somone moderately wealthy doesn't just start a super dense town, e.g. everything within 100 acres, and be within 10 miles of a major city. Create tons of these at a 50K people/sqmi density and implement some sort of hub spoke transportation with the major city being the hub and it could work!

Interesting, what would incentivize people to live there, as opposed to the city?

Car optional lifestyle vs car dependent.

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#18

Post by andys627 »

jnordwick wrote: post #2

> Streetscape enhancements add value to an area and are associated with higher rents and the attraction of new businesses. In addition there is good evidence to show that improving walking and cycling environments raises private property values by significant amounts. Nobody doubts this. Actually everybody sees this as the problem. I love NYC, but i also hate it. There is a price for density: crime, trash, prices, ov…

These things aren't from density. Suburban auto dependent homogeneity comes with another bag of crappy things - isolation, socioeconomic echo chamber, inneficient infrastructure (eg think about how many linear feet of pipe for peripheral homes vs more centrally located).

Walkable doesn't have to be dense. Most of our cities that existed before the 50s have(or had) low density walkable cores.

Re: Walkable Streets Are More Economically Productive

#19

Post by del82 »

reaperducer wrote: post #3

This is something that certain cities have understood for many years. Chicago, for example, mandates that all new development from a simple three-story building to a 100-story skyscraper has retail at its base to improve the walkability of its streets and make its business corridors vibrant. This also helps push down retail rents even in the CBD, allowing local upstart businesses a shot at reaching the masses. Chicag…

Interestingly, Strong Towns published an article a bit more than a week ago about why mandating ground-floor retail is also not the best way to go:

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/1/8/mixed-up-priori...

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