Presentation by Dan Burden at South Fraser OnTrax's 2nd Annual Sustainability on the Edge Event.

1. Walkability

2. By Dan Burden
Walkable and Livable Communities Institute
Sustainability on the Edge II
How We Got Into this Mess, and Our Way Out

3. How do we take the principles
of active living, combine them
with active transportation and
expand our ideas and concepts
to achieve a fully sustainable
world?
Have we reached
the precipice yet?

4. How do we take the principles
of active living, combine them
with active transportation and
expand our ideas and concepts
to achieve a fully sustainable
world?
Simple: by waking up, then
using our heads, our heart and
our feet. The question is will
we do this just in the nick of
time? Or not?

5. Is this the landscape we want to leave
our children?

10. What’s Wrong Here?
America’s Wealthiest County

11. What the
Community
Provided What the Customer
Wanted

12. What the
Community
Provided
What the
Customer
Wanted

13. Who we built for
Who we did not
build for

14. Who we built for
Who we did not
build for

15. The Pedestrian in America has been
marginalized compromised to Death

16. Thirty percent of North Americans old enough to
drive do not drive. This percentage is increasing.

17. Choosing a Preferred Alternative
Scenario A: Low Density Scenario B: Baseline
Scenario C: Walkable Neighborhoods Scenario D: High Infill

18. If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” … Yogi Berra

19. If you want to build a ship. Don’t drum up people
to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and
work, but rather teach them to long for the
endless immensity of the sea”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery

23. West Lafayette, Indiana (Home of Purdue University)

24. 1962 – Dr. Paul Dudley White
1977, NEA Conference
1964
1980, First Boulder Conf.
1997
1999
2005
2002-05
2010
1997 Kyoto Treaty
1985--1996

25. LosAngeles,Then

26. LosAngeles,Now

27. Driving more miles each
year (like obesity) is a
visible symptom, an
indicator of a disease
that is running amuck in
each of our towns and
villages.

28. 2000
Monthly
Household
Transportation
Expenditures
Source:
HTAIndex.com

29. 2008
Monthly
Household
Transportation
Expenditures
Source:
HTAIndex.com

30. 2008
Monthly
Household
Transportation
Expenditures
Urban
center
remains
affordable!
Source:
HTAIndex.com

31. •Time in car:
- All women 64 min/day
- Single mothers 75 min/day
STPP 2000
From 1969 to 2000, Americans drive:
+88% farther to shop
+137% farther for errands
Women effected most
• Mom/Family “chauffeur”

32. 2001 National
Geographic
Magazine Article
on Sprawl
Photo by:
Newsday
Levittown
New York
Where are the parks?
Where are the trails?
Where is the public
realm?
Where do people gather?
How do you go place to
place?
Where do you buy a
popsicle?
How does a child visit a
friend?

33. "If we are to have full use of
automobiles, cities must be
remade...awaiting industry that will do
wonders, for prosperity will spring up
when we revamp our cities”
…Post Magazine (circa 1930)

34. “Abundant sunshine, fresh air, fine
green parkways will blend together
seamlessly with dazzling
skyscrapers and seven-lane
highways.”

36. If it weren’t for the damn
pedestrian there would be no
traffic problem in Los Angeles…
… circa 1972, Los Angeles Traffic Engineer
Compact villages and a strong civilian
presence is the only solution to our
traffic problems…
… circa 1995, San Diego Traffic Engineer

37. “A driveable future. An auto company
has a new design competition to imagine
a future city that is car-friendly”
(June 28, 2010)

38. “Automobiles are often conveniently tagged as the villains
responsible for the ills of cities and the disappointments and futilities
of city planning. But the destructive effects of automobiles are much
less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building.
The simple needs of automobiles are more easily
understood and satisfied than the complex needs of cities,
and a growing number of planners and designers have
come to believe that if they can only solve the problems of
traffic, they will thereby have solved the major problems
of cities.
Cities have much more intricate economic and social concerns than
automobile traffic. How can you know what to try with traffic until
you know how the city itself works, and what else it needs to do with
its streets? You can't.”
Jane Jacobs, Death and Life of Great American Cities , 1961
“How can you know what to try with traffic until
….”

39. ConventionalApproach
System
Management
More
Pavement
MoreLanes
MoreRoads
ITS
MoreCars
More
Car-Carrying
Capacity
Lateral Approach
User View and Comfort
Context-Sensitive Design
Traffic Calming
Personal Security
Intensify land use densities
Promote Mixed Use Development
Transit Supportive Development
Demand Management – Pricing,
e-commerce, telecommuting, etc…
Lane Limits
Change Standards
Shift Policy
Transit
Bicycling
Walking
HOV/HOT Lanes
A Balanced Transportation Approach

40. Widen Road
Reduce
Delay
Reduce
Cost
FIRST
ORDER
Move
Home
Range
Farther
Drive
Home
Own More
Cars
SECOND
ORDER
Move
Business
Move
Jobs
Mega
Boxes
More
Strip
More Lane
Miles
New
Construction
THIRD
ORDER
Chain of Impacts

43. Surgeon General’s Report
21% US citizens ages 9-
17 have a diagnosable
mental or addictive
disorder associated with
at least minimum
impairment

44. Depressive Disorders
19 million American
adults
• Leading cause of
disability in the USA
• Treatment:
• Medication
• Social Contact,
including therapy
• And…..

45. “What is the first thing an
infant wants to do and the
last thing an older person
wants to give up?”

46. A walkability plan must set a stage for
all other modes of transportation to
work, including transit. If people
cannot walk then transit remains
ineffective.
“What is the first thing an
infant wants to do and the
last thing an older person
wants to give up?”
Walking is the exercise
that does not need a gym. It is
the prescription without
medicine, the weight control
without diet, and the cosmetic
that can’t be found in a chemist.
It is the tranquilizer without a
pill, the therapy without a
psychoanalyst, and the holiday
that does not cost a penny.
What’s more, it does not pollute,
consumes few natural resources
and is highly efficient. Walking is
convenient, it needs no special
equipment, is self-regulating and
inherently safe.
.”

47. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) around the U.S. have increased by 70
percent over the last 20 years, compared with a two percent increase in
new highway construction. The U.S. General Accounting Office
predicts that road congestion in the U.S. will triple in 15 years even if
capacity is increased by 20 percent.
Traffic is growing about five times faster than the growth in population.
(Data compiled for a report to the U.S. Department of Transportation
in 2006 written by Stephen Polzin, (transportation researcher at the
University of South Florida in Tampa.)
Why we cannot
build our way out
of traffic

48. The World is
Changing
Expect:
Option One:
25% more traffic every ten years.
More intersections failing.
More people spreading out into
canyons, ridges and other high
risk locations.
Also Expect:
More cars per household
Limited new lanes and limits on
intersections being rebuilt
More demand for slowing traffic
More demand for traffic to stay in motion
More demand for safer streets
More demand for quieter streets

49. Option Two:
Return to Traditional
streets and land uses
More connectivity
More walking, bicycling and
transit
People living closer to services,
shorter trips by time and
distance
More funding for well located
engine houses
Improved and more appropriate
equipment
More ways to respond
Fewer personal injury auto
crashes

50. The simple needs of
automobiles are
more easily
understood and
satisfied than the
complex needs of
cities, and a growing
number of planners
and designers have
come to believe that
if they can only solve
the problems of
traffic, they will
thereby have solved
the major problems
of cities.
Following that
philosophy led to
this, redundantly.
A new beaker and
measure will lead to
this.

52. New measure for street performance:
People come to your street to shoot their wedding pictures

53. "If we want a booming economy of mom and pop stores, we'd
better build the environment where they succeed”

55.  Build Villages, Not
Traffic
• Right Pattern, Right
Form, Right Scale,
Right Density
• Circulation System and
Connectivity
• Focus on Access, not
Mobility.
• Seamless switching
from mode to mode in
all places
Sustainable Future

56. Quality
Of
Life
In building facilities to accommodate cars……we often forget about the people

57. As we age our need for association will continue to grow

60. As we age access to healthy foods will be critical

68. Peak Happiness
1965

73. City Making

74. Narrow streets
Short blocks
Tight corner radii
Great plazas
Beautiful buildings
Limited parking
Built by Pirates OldTown,
KeyWest,
Florida

75. newTown,
KeyWest,
Florida
Designed
by college
graduates

77. If Cities are to reduce
auto-dependence a
working alternative
should include:
Developers no longer
block access to those
places people want to
reach.

79. © Citizen Planner Institute
Before and After Espanola
Way, circa
1986

84. Not Walkable Walkable
High Car Dependency Low Car Dependency
Serious Congestion Moderate Congestion

86. Based on the 1928 drawings by James Perry
The intensity of
uses should
gravitate away
from the
neighborhood
center
Townhouses frame the square while open
space provides an outdoor environment for
nearby residents
The largest lots of
the TND can be at
the edge
In these cases where
a TND is bordered by a
principal street higher
intensity uses such as
medium density
housing can be used in
creating the edge
Civic buildings
Should be
terminate street or
open space vistas

87. Personal choices of where to sit or recreate are not accidental.
Balance of sun and shade are determinant in active and passive
activities. In warm climates like Florida, shade is a critical asset to
the comfortable year round use of a space.
Why are these the only three empty tables at this
restaurant?
Why did this person choose this spot?

89. size
neighborhoods for
a 5-minute walk

90. Make blocks a
walkable size:
block perimeters of
1,500’ to 2,000’
create a connected
network of streets

91. Design for a mix
of land uses:
Centers include
denser housing, a
square, civic uses,
and neighborhood-
oriented retail.
Civic
Buildings
Neighborhood
Centers
Parks and
Open
Spaces

93. Internal Trips
100%
External Trips
100%
Internal Trips
60-90%

94. Connectivity:
Network
CrabappleRd. Hembree Rd.
400
N
3,568 miles of roads

95. Connectivity:
Effective Network
12% of the Total
Network is
“Effective”
CrabappleRd. Hembree Rd.
400
N
735 miles of roads

96. Connectivity Requirements
Compact Area Type for
Network Additions
• Link-Node Ratio of 1.6 or
greater
• One external connection as
well as an additional
external connection and
stub-out per 50 links or
fraction thereof
Virg

99. Chico, CA
Nord Avenue

100. Chico, CA
Nord Avenue

101. Meriam Park, Chico, California

103. If Cities are to
reduce auto-
dependence a
working alternative
should include:
Buildings no longer
“moon” the street

108. Density with Design
1980s & 90s: Density, but…
Dover Kohl & Partners

109. Density with Design
In New Projects: Maintain the Relationship of
Building and the Street
Dover Kohl & Partners

110. Density with Design
In New Projects: Make the Streets Good
Neighbors
Dover Kohl & Partners

111. Density with Design
In New Projects: Promote the Street as an
Amenity, and Inspire Investment
Dover Kohl & Partners

112. Well Designed Density
Urban-Advantage.com
What are the problems here?
Lack of Security
Lack of people
Lack of investment
Auto dependence
No place to buy a popsicle
Lack of diversity
Lack of activity
Lack of diversity

115. Petaluma, California

116. Petaluma, California

118. DOWNTOWN
STRIP CORRIDOR
SHOPPING
CENTERS
Investment
moves to
Investment
moves to
Freeway
Corridor
Courtesy of Michael Freedman

119. Falling out of Favor: Linear Strip format

120. The Illustrative Plan (above) is the result of this planning process; it shows the
hypothetical buildout of the corridor, locating building footprints (new
and existing), open space, and parking areas. The corridor was divided into four
study areas, the Western Gateway, the Neighborhood Center, the Village Center,
and the Town Center. Each area has it’s own unique characteristics and challenges
which were addressed.
Quick sketches were done to study buildings that would result from the hypothetical
building footprints in the Illustrative Plan, combined with the proposed height limits
in the study areas and potential architectural regulations of the new code. each
street, which corresponds to written code regulations.

121. Burnaby, British Columbia

122. High Gate Village - Former Strip Mall

123. Burnaby, British Columbia

127. It’s Not What You Think It Is.

128. 11-12 du/a net8-10 du/a net

129. Land Use Pattern Affects Travel
Higher Density can reduce Vehicle Trips
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0
Trips/Household(ADT)
Density in Units/Acre
Source: John Holtzclaw, PhD,
Sierra Club
Vehicle
Trips
Walking
Trips
Significant reduction in VMT as we go from
3-4 units/acre to over 20 units/acre
6-7
du/a
7-10 du/a
11-18 du/a
2-3
du/a 20 du/a

130. Vancouver now has so much density that there
is no comparison until you travel to Asia … to
Beijing, Hong Kong, or Tokyo.
As Vancouver has built itself into the one city in
the “Most Livable City in the World” …Vehicle
Miles Per Day (VPD) is declining. Registered car
Virtually all growth
occurred in brown fields,
industrial yards, old rail
yards. Virtually all former
single family homes are
still in place. Loved,
cared for, and worth a

140. Street and
Trail Division
Shore
line
Ground level retail 70-90%
transparency
Housing above street 60-90%
transparency
Eyes on
Trail

142. Complete Streets

143. Marine Drive, Dundarave, B.C.
Highway 93, Missoula, Montana
USA
Canada

144. Marine Drive, Dundarave, B.C.

147. • Complete Streets,
• Green Streets,
• Context Sensitive
Design
• LEED for Neighborhood
Design
• Healthy Streets
Terms Describing
Streets of the Future

148. Above Where would you rather walk? Where would you rather bike? Which is the safest
place to bike?
Or
Below Where would you rather drive? Where would you rather live? Which is the safest
place to drive?

150. 12 Feet
5 Feet
Natomas,
Curb-to-Curb

151. Grandview Drive , University Place, WA (33 mph Average Speed)

152. Street
Design
Manual
Streets
Pay Their Way
Through Increased
Land Value
Increased
Land
Values
New
Maintenance
Funds
Holistic Use of
Streets
Complete
Streets Green Streets

153. TWO WOLVES
One evening an old Cherokee told his
grandson about a battle that goes on inside
people. He said, "My son, the battle is
between two wolves inside us all.
"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy,
sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love,
hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute
and then asked his grandfather: "Which
wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied,
"The one you feed."

155. Where There’s
Opposition
There Needs To Be
Courage

158. Is this an
age-friendly
place?

159. The Cycle of Strip Development
Land Use
Planning
INPUTS
•Auto Oriented Business
•Single Use Zoning
•Single Family
Residential
GROWTH
OUTCOMES
•Isolated Neighborhoods
•Multiple Automobile Trips
•Poor Mobility
•Difficult Walking
Transportation
Planning
INPUTS
•Traffic Demand
Forecasting
•Congestion
GROWTH
OUTCOMES
•Wider Roads
•Induced
Traffic
•More Traffic

160. Breaking The Cycle of Strip Development
Land Use
Planning
GROWTH
OUTCOMES
•Increased Mobility
•More Walking &
Bicycling
•Increased Access
•Sustainable
•Prosperity
OUTCOMES
•Healthy Neighborhoods
•Choices of Transportation
•More Open Space
•Sense of Place
•Sense of Community
•Age-in-Place Friendly
INPUTS
•Diversity of Business
•Mixed Use Zoning
•Diversity of Residential
Units
•Context Sensitive Solutions
•Community Involvement
Transportation
Planning
Community
Planning