The Importance of Walkability: How Modern Urban Planning Contributes to Classism
Written By: London Allen | January 5, 2023
If I could, I would walk everywhere. Given that walking is an option, the weather permits, and there is time, it’s generally the transport option I enjoy taking. However, walking is not always the most convenient. In some places, there are large stretches of land with no sidewalks or other easily accessible areas for walkers. Oftentimes, city designs ensure that a store half a mile away is somehow a 40-minute walk. Instead, once walkable land has continuously transformed into long roads designated for automobiles. This is largely due to urban planning which over time has become dedicated to car-centric layouts and consequently excludes those who utilize transportation modes such as walking.
WHAT IS WALKABILITY?
When urban planners prioritize car-centric designs, walkability can decrease for certain neighborhoods, a city, or a town. Walkability is the ability to safely walk to amenities within a reasonable distance. Walkability is rooted in the idea that minimizing the need for private vehicles would improve the quality of life for city dwellers and would help efforts to reduce climate change. As a city-planning concept, walkability encourages mixed-used and high-density neighborhoods equipped for people to access essential services easily and is founded on the principle that streets should be versatile spaces.
Walkability has not always been an issue in urban cities. Unfortunately, since countries like the United States continuously prioritize car-centric planning projects, streets are built without sidewalks and have wide multi-lane roads with fast speed limits. This type of urban planning completely disregards the other possible uses for the space and displaces community members. Transportation planning efforts often center on elements such as traffic flow and attempt to efficiently move a high volume of cars simultaneously through any given area. Furthermore, land-use policies may include separated uses. This requires driving between homes and businesses—inducing automobile dependence. Ultimately, car-centric cities have several negative environmental, economic, and social effects that would be lessened with an increase in walkability.
WHY DOES WALKABILITY MATTER?
Currently, due to automobile-dependent development, those who do not have access to an automobile regularly are at a disadvantage when scouting for jobs or utilizing public spaces. If places are not within walking distance and there is no public transportation, these residents are left with limited resources. For example, children may have trouble finding transportation to school or may not have a park within walking distance to enjoy outside fun. People who live in food deserts have no reliable method of reaching better-equipped grocery stores. Furthermore, the constant dependency on a vehicle implicitly, “increases household costs, and contributes to congestion and carbon emissions.” Not only is this harmful to the environment, but it also leaves those who are in the working and lower economic classes at a disadvantage.
Those who are in these social classes may not be able to afford a vehicle. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2020 “Most people were either low income (51%) or poor (10%)” in the United States. In 2021, about 16% of the U. S. population with an income less than 50k owned vehicles. On the other hand, about 75% of those with an income greater than 50k owned vehicles. It is obvious that car-centric planning benefits those who are able to have access to personal vehicles—the middle and upper economic classes—and intentionally leaves those who are lower classes at a disadvantage since they are less likely to own cars. Fortunately, one study confirms that “Walking should be one of the primary modes of transportation in sustainable cities, being more environmentally friendly, sociable, and health conscious.” The study shares the connection between walkability and affordability as “well-serviced surroundings lead to lower transportation costs for the inhabitants.”
The Future of Walkability
While car-centric planning seems to be the trend for many American cities, there are attempts being made for more walkable infrastructure. One Bloomberg article shares that street art is being tested to make city streets safer for pedestrians and therefore, more walkable. Still, many global cities understand the importance of walkability and are setting an example that America would benefit from following. A global poll by the Institute for Transportation and Developed Policy ranked Paris as the third most walkable city in the world in regards to closeness to care-free places and first in regards to closeness to healthcare and education. Other cities including Hong Kong, China and London, UK made the list as well. It is evident it is time that the United States should prioritize walkability for the well-being of all communities.
