Walkable Communities
by
Gill Garcia
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.
Because of these issues, it is my recommendation that the City Council direct staff to create and facilitate a Walkable Communities Advisory Committee. Its mission would be to assist the City of Santa Barbara in:
• increasing public awareness regarding walkable communities;
improving the quality of the pedestrian environment;
• increasing pedestrian safety and convenience;
• promoting the establishment of walkable neighborhoods and commercial areas;
• establishing a pedestrian network that serves short trips and transit;
• exploring a range of funding options for pedestrian improvements; and encouraging walking.
The following is an example list of goals that the Walkable Communities Advisory Committee could develop further to accomplish its mission.
Research and education – to identify and increase public awareness of pedestrian and walkable communities issues.
Design guidelines – to develop pedestrian design guidelines that integrate design criteria, planning practices and maintenance policies into standards that promote pedestrian mobility.
Project implementation – identify funding strategy and resources to implement projects that create walkable communities in the city.
Demonstration projects – select demonstration projects or programs in neighborhoods or commercial areas that are committed to creating walkable places and seek funding for their implementation.
Events and actions – initiate activities in partnership with agencies such as schools, health organizations, professional organizations, businesses, environmental organizations, and neighborhoods to promote demonstration projects to increase walking.
The Walkable Advisory Committee could be made up of appointed official(s) from the Architectural Board of Review, Historic Landmarks Commission, Planning Commission, and Circulation/Transportation Committee. It could also include representatives from organizations interested in health, air and water quality and environment, crime prevention, economic development, plus senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and members of low-income and minority populations.
Creating a Walkable Communities Advisory Committee would help in promoting and identifying strategies for developing pedestrian friendly communities in our auto-dominated neighborhoods. For advice and help in this area, the committee could encourage and support the formation of neighborhood-based walkable subcommittees. These subcommittees would engage residents in creating a transportation plan for their neighborhoods. A neighborhood transportation plan is a critical strategy in the Circulation Element of the General Plan and is critical for its successful implementation.
State organizations like the Local Government Commission and the California Department of Health Services are also interested in promoting pedestrian-oriented communities. The Local Government Commission will, therefore, help to seek funding for the activities of the Walkable Communities Advisory Committee and will provide technical assistance.
City and county leaders in California are most motivated to push for pedestrian-oriented infrastructure and land use when there is a clear economic benefit to their communities. For example, the City Redevelopment Agency has made a substantial investment in the State Street retail corridor, transforming it into one of the most pedestrian-friendly vibrant economic retail corridors in the country. The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, with its "pedestrians only" infrastructure, has an even higher economic return per square foot of retail space than Santa Barbara’s State Street pedestrian/car infrastructure [see also the success story of Curitiba in Issue #18]. This demonstrates that walkability is good for business and retail sales. Many studies have demonstrated that the more friendly the pedestrian infrastructure, the higher the economic benefit, in terms of retail sales, business opportunities and property values.
Walkability infrastructure in neighborhoods is also a good investment. Reducing traffic noise, traffic speeds and vehicle-generated air pollution can increase property values. One study found that a 5- to 10-mph reduction in traffic speeds increased adjacent residential property values by roughly 20 percent.
According to a 1998 analysis by Ere Yarmouth and Real Estate Research Corporation, real estate values over the next 25 years will rise fastest in those "Livable Smart Communities" that incorporate traditional characteristics of successful cities, including a compact mix of residential and commercial districts in a "pedestrian-friendly configuration."
Although the economic benefits may be a strong motivator for local officials to invest in "pedestrian infrastructure," the more valuable return to the community is the human connectivity and social interaction that results from walking. Good quality design elements of "pedestrian infrastructure" exalts and nurtures the human spirit, and protects and enhances the neighborhood’s traditional values and quality of life. Enhanced walkability will create a new social contract that will reconnect residents in the neighborhoods as members of one interactive human family and revitalize the civic spirit. Neighborhood residents with a revitalized civic spirit will dedicate themselves to enhancing the quality of life for youth and families by reclaiming their homes, blocks, streets, parks, neighborhoods, districts, cities, regions and environment. That’s the magic of the human spirit.
Gil Garcia is currently a City Councilmember in Santa Barbara and is running for Mayor.
