Climate Travels by Michael M. Gunter Jr

Author:Michael M. Gunter, Jr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Columbia University Press

14

RETHINKING OUR CITIES

My heart skips a beat. Atop an extinct volcano, Mt. Tabor is a lovely city park with breathtaking views of Portland below. The hike up, a popular exercise routine among locals, was a welcome workout. But neither is on my mind now. What has me aflutter is my missing wallet.

I’m here at this Oregonian oasis studying new urbanism, namely how a walkable downtown with mixed housing options, abundant sidewalks, and narrow streets really operates. All this emphasis on building density deemphasizes automobiles and, as I will soon experience, nurtures civic life. It fosters a culture where a stranger from my last bus returns my wallet to the driver, ensuring it reunites with me little more than an hour later. Green architecture, as highlighted in chapter 12, brings much-needed attention to buildings in our fight against climate change. But precisely how these buildings are organized matters, too. This chapter takes this more holistic approach, rethinking design of our cities, including the infrastructure that binds them together.

City design is more important than we often realize. Consider the time it takes to get from home to work. Longer commutes, borrowing from Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam, limit civic engagement and development of social capital.1 People spread too thinly interact less. Moving them closer together strengthens civil society and decreases political polarization. It also gives us a better chance to address complex societal issues like climate change. Alas, many Americans never consider the social implications of city design. To be fair, most cities, across the globe, were never planned. They evolved in ad hoc patterns. But the older ones, at least their city centers, enjoy the benefit of human-scale design. Returning to this approach will allow cities to reach their potential and lower our carbon footprint. That means rethinking how our cities look. It means planning for people, not cars.

Legendary urbanist, activist, and author Jane Jacobs offers us a recipe. Neighborhoods, and the cities they comprise, work best with a mixture of commerce and residences. Buildings of six stories and less should occupy small blocks with narrow streets but wide sidewalks and plenty of pocket parks. All this facilitates foot traffic and fosters neighborhood interactions that build civil society. It’s also good for business. “Sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city’s wealth of public life may grow,” as Jacobs poetically wrote.2

Walkability, a reflection of density and viable public transit, is not a new idea. Another iconic urbanist, Lewis Mumford, stressed the role of a well-constructed city back in 1938, championing pedestrian-scaled, sustainable cities.3 Since the mid-twentieth century, though, most American cities have prioritized cars over people. The results have not been good. “Worshipping the twin gods of Smooth Traffic and Ample Parking—[has] turned our downtowns into places that are easy to get to but not worth arriving at,” notes city planner and bestselling author Jeff Speck. “Get walkability right and so much of the rest will follow.”4

Four criteria influence whether people choose to walk, according to Speck.5 For one, walking must serve a purpose.

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