Here is a
definition of walkable communities, this article
appears in the September/October 2000 issue of
HopeDance magazine
"WALKABLE COMMUNITIES"
INITIATIVE
by Gil Garcia
Gil
Garcia is currently a City
Councilmember in Santa Barbara
and is running for Mayor. Phone (805) 965-8561
Santa
Barbara is a beautiful city with many attractions
that make it such a special place, not the least
of which is its walkable downtown and Waterfront.
The pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in
these areas, along with the sense of time and
sense of place created by the romantic Spanish
architecture, makes it a joy to walk and share
with locals and visitors the sense of celebration
of community and celebration of the human
spirit. How can we extend this joy of walking
throughout the entire City?
Santa Barbara, like
other walkable cities, has its share of neighborhoods
and commercial areas where walking is difficult
because the areas are developed around automobile
transportation. An overwhelming majority
of persons living in these areas are dependent
on the automobile to go places, even to places
of recreation. Additionally, single-use zoning
has isolated and segregated residences, schools,
jobs, places of worship, services and shopping.
It is, therefore, critical to change policies
and practices to support physically active and
environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
Walking
is the oldest and most basic form of human
transportation. A community that considers walking
as a mode of transport and is designed to support
walking is regarded as more livable, attractive,
and more socially interactive, and is likely to
have a lively community civic spirit. However,
the automobile-dominated planning of the last
50 years has created widespread barriers to people’s
ability to incorporate this physical activity
into their daily routines.
A few
years ago, Santa Barbara updated our General
Plan by adopting a new Circulation Element, which
has been promoting transit-oriented development
concepts, alternative transportation modes, and
livable communities planning as part of the Livable
Smart Growth Strategy and Transportation Plan.
An important component of these concepts and strategies
is the increased emphasis on pedestrian oriented
development, including the infill of pedestrian
amenities in established neighborhoods. However,
creating and revitalizing places and neighborhoods
that are attractive and usable to pedestrians
are often forgotten in the planning process. It
is necessary to incorporate pedestrian oriented
design principles and establish policies
and actions which would help to create communities
where walking and biking are accepted practices
of physical activities and travel. It is also
essential to identify and reduce the existing
obstacles in our communities that make walking
an unsafe and unfriendly activity.
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