Thoughts I've Had on "Walkable Communities"

During this current crisis/challenge/opportunity in our economy, many people have began to change their living habits. I downsized back to my mom's house and used it as a base to create and cultivate new opportunities. Others have been forced to make other decisions, like give up their home, car or other valuable objects. However, we all know some good can come out of this and that good is the creation (re-creation) of the walkable community. How might this happen? After all, the "walkable communities" we see on a regular basis are generally high-end and overpriced. Most of us want to break even and save in this crisis. Well, here are some things you can do to turn any community into a "walkable community".

Create a neighborhood watch if necessary: I recognize there are real problems keeping people from walking in their neighborhoods. However, if enough officers begin to patrol a neighborhood, trouble does die down. Also, a few committed people in the neighborhood can gather and plan activities and strategies to keep people busy doing service projects, job training and other positive things that keep people away from crime and send criminals elsewhere.


Lower the price of real estate in your neighborhood: I went to the apartments at North Hills in Raleigh (where I was living at the time) and balked at how expensive it was to live in 600 square feet, just because Harris Teeter (a regional upscale grocery store) is 50 paces away and Target is 100. If you have that neighborhood watch, plus people coming in from outer lying neighborhoods to shop at the stores, not only will you have a lot of positive traffic, then you will have less crime. Granted there are the outlying situations like mall shootings and thefts that are becoming more commonplace, but we can't let freak accidents keep us in our homes and cars when we could take a nice stroll to Moe's Southwest Grill(a chain similar to Chipotle, a movie at Regal Cinema and have a nightcap at Midtown. Plus, you'll have 100% vacancy and that's saying a lot in this crisis.

Bring back the front porch: I can't begin to name how many newly constructed communities have forsaken the front porch. Folks in these neighborhoods have almost no trouble with anything due to the prestige these places bring by default. However they have nowhere to hang out and no place to see people when they walk around, besides maybe the front yard, if you have that. Even if it's putting a chair on your stoop, sit outside sometime and be there to great the joggers, walkers and kids coming home from school who are close enough to walk or coming off the bus.

Last but not least, spiff up transit options in neighborhoods. Build up more buses, pull in some train lines, whatever it takes to encourage people not to drive as much and walk when they get to their destinations.

I'd love to hear what you think would make a "walkable community".

(I posted a version of this post about a year ago on my main blog www.waxingphilosophical2.blogspot.com)