In a nice change from our frequent positioning near the bottom of a list, a Brookings Institution report ranks:
the Washington region first among the country’s major metropolitan areas in the number of “walkable places” per capita, thanks to changes in just the past 15 years.
Being able to walk for most of my daily activities is one of the things I love most about living here, and I wouldn’t trade it for four bedrooms and a three car garage in a million years (which is the approximate amount of time I’d have to spend in traffic, if I did). I managed to pull this same situation off near the end of my time in Atlanta, too, so it’s not something that’s reserved to old East Coast cities and San Francisco. Here’s the top 10:
- Washington
- Boston
- San Francisco
- Denver
- Portland
- Seattle
- Chicago
- Miami
- Pittsburgh
- New York
I should note that I think the methodology is a little suspect (I mean, Atlanta is #15 on the list . . .), so don’t go wild with the DC v. NYC bit. I’m pretty happy to see Arlington get a nod for the work its done, though:
Good planning also helped in the Washington region, particularly in Arlington, Leinberger said.
When the Metro was being built, county officials lobbied to put their portion underground along a central commercial road, rather than above ground and along the interstate. The county then loosened zoning regulations around each Metro stop, a policy that gave rise to “urban villages” such as Ballston.
[ . . . ]
Walking among Ballston’s tall buildings recently, Leinberger praised the mix of commercial and residential spaces, the picturesque courtyards, and the use of underground parking instead of surface lots.
Of course, Arlington’s not perfect:
The one big mistake is Ballston Commons Mall, a suburban-style mall that has failed to attract many national retailers, Leinberger said.
On the upside, the mall does include a fantastic ice-skating facility, where you can (sometimes) go watch the Capitols practice or take to the ice yourself. And really, Ballston is much much better than it used to be.
In any event, it’s an interesting assessment of the progress in planning and development that many American cities are making. Report here.
