5 Paving the Way for Sustainable and Walkable Cities

The challenge of car-dependent urban space:

If we wish to enjoy the sustainable use and production of the built environment, in the sense that it meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Brundtland, 1987), it is important to identify the drivers that hinder us doing so in the contemporary moment. Therefore, rather than immediately delving into discussion on the built environment, we begin by considering one element of contemporary life: cars. Their use has a great deal of harmful consequences, include lower air quality as a result of increased emissions, loss of biodiversity due to urban sprawl fueled by people seeking to escape congested urban environments, increased financial burdens placed on households resulting from time lost in traffic, and the expensive demand for fuel and the costs of vehicle maintenance (Moreno, 2021). As such, it is clear that reducing the number of cars in use, and mitigating against car dependency, would enable us to shape a more pleasant future for all.

In the US, with the introduction of affordable, mass-produced automobiles (and housing), accelerated post-World War II, urban zoning began to change (Leyden, 2018). Citizens increasingly came to live at considerable distances from urban centers, facilitated by the adoption of cars, but also by the construction of President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway system. In the 1960s and 1970s, this migration stream was also amplified by American citizens seeking a more peaceful housing situation away from the escalation of urban crime and increasing racial disparities within the cities. The new neighborhoods they resided in were characterized by low density housing and the geographical separation of the components that make up a community (e.g. shops, schools, crèches etc.). These changes underpinned the proliferation of car-dependency, which was accompanied by many other costs to society, including increased traffic congestion, and a lack of physical activity (Leyden, 2003).

Imagining more walkable cities:

In many cases, car dependency within urban environments has developed over time, due to insufficient urban and transport planning and a lack of mitigative policy measures. Cities such as Bogotá demonstrate the advantages of urban regions which are developed without a sharp, pointed focus on automobile transport. The design and development of Bogotá city was informed by the idea that walking and cycling could, and should be the dominant methods of transportation. As a result, the city boasts extensive bike lanes and sidewalks for pedestrian use, which significantly increase the adoption of these methods of mobility and transportation (Cervero et al., 2009). The city also focuses on the compact development of urban space, and emphasises pedestrian safety, by implementing traffic calming measures to ensure pedestrians and cyclists can move safely throughout the city (Cervero et al., 2009).

These measures, successful in a city like Bogotá, are more difficult to implement retroactively, in urban spaces with established car-centric transport infrastructure. However, cities such as Seattle are paving the way by taking on the challenges associated with car-dominant mobility systems. For example, groups such as the Active Seattle Partnership advocate for government policies to increase walkability throughout the city, and create social campaigns to encourage and educate citizens on the benefits of walking (Deehr & Shumann, 2009). Working alongside local communities within the city, and with government agencies to increase the city’s overall walkability, these groups push to ensure a hybrid approach to policy making. Utilising top down and bottom up approaches in tandem, they aim to ensure the mutual benefits of local participation and government-driven policymaking. In terms of successes, by working with local groups, the Active Seattle Partnership petitioned voters to support the ‘Bridge the Gap Initiative’ which provided an investment of 98 million USD for the improvement of pedestrian and cycling facilities and infrastructure. Through working with local government representatives, the partnership successfully advocated for pedestrian infrastructure and safety (Deehr & Shumann, 2009). Other initiatives which have led to an increased walkability within the city are the creation of a pedestrian master plan that incorporates both long- and short-term plans to improve the city’s existing and future walking infrastructure, and the increased development and enhancement of sidewalks and safety signs. While these examples show that increased walkability can be achieved in both developing and developed cities, both cases highlight the need for support from both decision makers and the end users of transport networks. Encouragingly, the changes implemented in Seattle illustrate that the retroactive amendment of zoning policy, to increase walkability and enhance pedestrian infrastructure, can be successfully achieved.

Looking forward:

Considering the changes required to transform, alter, or adapt the built environment and its existing urban infrastructure can be a daunting task. Especially when tasked with imagining the most appropriate solutions within an ever-changing global and local environment, where forces such as development, growth, and capitalism tend to dominate. The perception to be gleaned from contemporary car marketing is that the automobile still dominates as an instrument of providing freedom to the consumer (D’Costa, 2013), despite this freedom being short-lived (as soon as the consumer exits their driveway and encounters the extreme traffic problems plaguing a large number of major cities) (Pimenta, 2017; TomTom 2022). In many parts of the world, it is a perceived necessity to own a car in order to get from one point to another, with few exceptions. Faced with this reality, and the challenges entailed, many people are seeking alternative solutions to car-centric culture by either opting for different transport, carpooling, or via mobility apps (Moody, Farr, Papagelis, et. al., 2021). Research also seems to indicate that there is an increasing demand for smaller, village-like environments within cities, as they bolster community engagement and social satisfaction, (re)producing healthier and happier places to live (Leyden, 2018).

To conclude, our recommendations to address the ever-increasing problems pertaining to car-dominance  within our cities are twofold. Zoning laws are a major component of urban design sustaining and facilitating the expansion of car-centric culture. Current zoning laws tend to incentivise the expansion of suburban areas that require cars to be the dominant mode of transport. This perpetuates the need for cars and constrains future urban development within such strict parameters. Such development eventually leads to increased separation between communities, a lack of accessible public transport systems, and an exponential increase in carbon emissions contributing to anthropogenic climate change (Leyden 2018). Firstly, we propose advocating for the transformation of current zoning laws, that focus on centring the car as the dominant form of transportation, to create more walkable cities with infrastructure supporting alternative transportation solutions (e.g. bikes, electric scooters, public transport etc.). The aforementioned advocacy groups in Seattle provide an excellent example of how such public advocacy can influence change within the urban environment.  Our second proposal is a call to action for citizens to participate in these campaigns and collectives. Awareness of these changes and their material consequences – greener, more walkable, social, and connected cities and communities – needs to be improved to motivate people to participate in such movements. Responsibility for such changes, however, should not solely be borne by urban citizens. Solutions must come from a range of local to state scales of government, too. Public sentiment should reflect the necessity of these changes and government institutions should back more sustainable and social solutions within the urban realm. We feel that such a two-pronged approach towards healthier, social, community oriented and walkable cities is straightforward and hope that it could be readily utilised by individuals, communities, and collectives everywhere.

References

Brundtland, G.H., (1987). “Our common future—Call for action.” Environmental conservation, 14(4), pp.291-294.

Cervero, R. et al. (2009) “Influences of built environments on walking and cycling: Lessons from Bogotá,” International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 3(4), pp. 203–226. doi:10.1080/15568310802178314.

D’Costa, K. (2013) “Choice, Control, Freedom and Car Ownership,” Scientific American, 22 April. Available at:https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/choice-control-freedom-and-car-ownership/ (Accessed 6 June 2023).

Deehr, R.C. and Shumann, A., 2009. “Active Seattle: achieving walkability in diverse neighborhoods.,” American journal of preventive medicine, 37(6), pp.S403-S411.

Leyden, K.M. and Fitzsimons D’Arcy, L. (2017) “Rethinking Zoning for People: Utilizing the Concept of the Village,” in One Hundred Years of Zoning and the Future of Cities. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 77–93.

Leyden, K.M. (2003) “Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods,” American journal of public health, 93(9), pp. 1546–1551.

Moody, J., Farr, E., Papagelis, M. et al. (2021) “The value of car ownership and use in the United States,” Nature Sustainability, 4, pp. 769–774.

Moreno, C., Allam, Z., Chabaud, D., Gall, C. and Pratlong, F., (2021). “Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, resilience and place identity in future post-pandemic cities.” Smart Cities, 4(1), pp.93-111.

Pimenta, A., (2017) “The Global Cities With the Worst Traffic Problems,” ArchDaily, Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/870192/the-global-cities-with-the-worst-traffic-problems?a d_campaign=normal-tag (Accessed 6 June 2023).

TomTom (2022) “TomTom Traffic Index Ranking 2022” Available at: https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/ (Accessed 6 June 2023)