Walkability

Houston Developers Question Mayor’s Stance on Pedestrian Projects
The new mayor’s reversal of road safety projects, some already underway or completed, is raising eyebrows among developers who say residents want walkable, mixed-use streets.

St. Paul Considers Drive-Thru Restrictions
Limiting drive-thrus can make streets more dangerous for pedestrians and snarl traffic.

Sibling Study Highlights Impact of Green Neighborhoods on Public Health
More evidence that access to green spaces and walkable communities improve public health outcomes.

Being a Non-Driver in a Car-Dependent World
A third or more of Americans cannot drive due to their age, ability, or other factors. How can their travel needs inform our transportation systems?

‘Stroads:’ The Worst of Both Worlds
An urban planning critic says the U.S. should build streets for people to live on, and roads to move traffic quickly.

Atlanta Could Ban Data Centers Along Beltline
City officials say the warehouse-style centers don’t support the Beltline overlay district’s goal to foster pedestrian-oriented development.

Houston to Make a Car-Free Downtown Corridor Permanent
A seven-block stretch of Main Street will be permanently blocked off to traffic and enhanced to create a vibrant, pedestrian friendly zone.

Op-Ed: How ‘Useful’ Businesses Boost Walkability
When mixed-use development isn’t enough to create vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.

Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.

Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.

Houston Supportive Housing Development Sparks Debate
Critics say a proposed apartment building would negatively impact the neighborhood’s walkability.

Making TOD More Viable
Tying housing and land acquisition funding to transit projects could make dense, walkable development easier and more cost-effective.

Is the City Moving to the Suburbs?
Is the recent trend to build more walkable suburbs a sign of sustainable change?

Dubai Launches Free Smart Umbrella Rental to Improve Walkability
By helping residents walk comfortably in the rain or blazing sun, Dubai hopes to advance its 2040 master plan goals of sustainability and becoming a “20-minute city.”

Promoting Infill Development for a Denser Houston
An advocacy group is calling for ‘sustainable, vertical’ mixed-use urbanism in the famously sprawling city.

Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability
A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

Car-Free Arizona Suburb Gains Residents
The project, dubbed Culdesac, offers EV rentals, free light rail passes, and other perks instead of private parking.

Learning From Miami
Miami is denser than most American cities, but is more car-dependent than some less compact cities. Why?

The Changing Shape of American Suburbs
Housing costs and availability are pushing more American households, including young families, to suburbs and exurbs — and they’re demanding changes.
Pagination
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.