The Livable Streets Movement
The livable streets movement is changing the way cities around the world
work. From Paris to Melbourne, cities are dedicating increasing amounts
of public space to pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit. London
pedestrianized part of Trafalgar Square; Vienna closed its central streets
to vehicle traffic; Copenhagen built an extensive bicycle network; Bogotá
chose busses over highways. In the United States, cities, states and now
Congress have either passed or are considering legislation that would
require transportation planners to consider the needs of all users – not just
those in motor vehicles. As New York sets out to fulfill PlaNYC’s promise of
dozens of new pedestrian plazas and hundreds
of miles of bike lanes, the city is poised to be at
the forefront of this historic movement.
In the U.S., the livability movement is
nothing short of a sea change in government
transportation policies that have been singularly
focused on motor vehicles for decades. The
driving force of this movement continues to
be a growing recognition of the economic and
environmental costs of existing policy and a
search for alternatives. Livable streets encourage
walking, cycling and transit trips, cut into these
costs and also advance important societal goals.
London’s Walking Plan, for example, argues that
walking contributes to “health and well-being”
and to the “vibrancy” of the city, while other
programs point to benefits such as a stronger sense of community.
The economic benefits of livable streets, despite their growing importance
in transportation policy planning, are presently not well understood. This is
due in part to a paucity of research: there have been almost no published
studies in the U.S. on economic impacts, and only a handful in Europe. In
addition, it has been difficult to untangle the specific impact of measures
such as new pedestrian amenities or parking regulations from other civic
improvements put in place simultaneously.
Livable streets have demonstrated the following effects on local economies:
• Pedestrian zones in city centers have boosted foot traffic by 20-40% and retail sales by 10-25%.
• Property values have increased by nearly one-third after traffic calming measures were installed.
• Property values on quiet streets are generally higher than those on noisy streets. In the extreme, the value of a house on a quiet street would be 8-10% higher than the same house on a noisy street.
• Public recreational and gathering space increases property values. Apartment prices near community gardens in New York City are 7% higher than comparable apartments in the same neighborhood.
http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/streets_to_live_by.pdf