Posted by Drew DeVitis
Local
place on Friday, September 19, is an opportunity for Seattleites to temporarily turn parking spaces into pop-up parks. The event raises awareness about creating a more walkable, livable, and healthier city, and helps people re-imagine how our streets can be used. Applications are due this Friday, August 29 to SDOT.
Captiol Hill, Seattle is the most walkable yet affordable urban neighborhood in the entire country according to urban planner and blogger Dave Munson, who created a formula that accounts for a number of metrics related to walkability and affordability.
SDOT is planning to construct curb bulbs at intersections along W Harrison Street, which is part of the Lake to Bay Loop that connects Elliot Bay to Lake Union through Uptown, Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union and Belltown.
National
The SpareFoot Blog has compiled a list of the top twelves college towns where a significant percentage of commuters walk to work. Of note, Pullman, Washington comes in at number seven with an impressive share of 23.5 percent of residents who walk to work.
Researchers have found that people who walk to work rate their commute satisfaction the highest amongst all other modes of transportation. In general, active commuters tend to enjoy their journey more than those who passively endure traffic congestion or transit crowds.
International
Jerusalem’s Railway Park, an eight-
kilometer promenade constructed on an abandoned railway track, has proven to be a boon for the local economy, social vibrancy, and the preservation of urban biodiversity.
Following Wales’s lead, England is opening a national coastal walking path. The first section, which runs 34 miles in the post-industrial north-east, is the beginning of what will be a comprehensive 2,800 mile England Coast Path.
If you come across any interesting pedestrian news or stories, please send a link to drew.devitis@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of SDOT, Washington State University, and The Nature of Cities