Comments for The Accidental Urbanist

Comment on The Magic of a Tree-Lined Street by Rachel Wight

Rachel Wight — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:38:21 +0000

Amen! (UWT class #3) and huge supporter of planting to preserve.

Comment on Parking Vs. The Walkable Building (The Developer’s Dilemma) by R. John Anderson

R. John Anderson — Fri, 06 May 2016 02:00:39 +0000

Great piece Sarah. You captured both the technical side of the problem and the big learning moment that is the whole point of the exercise. Tulsa is lucky to have you.

Comment on Want Community? Build Walkability by Hannah

Hannah — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 22:58:43 +0000

Suuuuuch a great read!!!! Thank you!

Comment on At the Intersection of Fiscal and Physical Health by Karen Allen

Karen Allen — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 16:26:24 +0000

Great post! The benefits of walking are even more extensive than you mention. See “The Brilliance of Walking.”

http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-brilliance-of-walking.html

However, more detail would no doubt have bogged your main argument down–the importance of walkability to both fiscal health and physical health. This needs to be shouted from the rooftops of America loudly and often.

Comment on Does That Parking Space Come with Fries? by admin

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 20:49:36 +0000

I’ve always thought that if I owned a bar or restaurant, I would offer discounts for people who walked or biked. Cars and parking cost so much, it seems like there should be a perk for cyclists and pedestrians!

Comment on Does That Parking Space Come with Fries? by Carolyn heinz

Carolyn heinz — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 23:50:36 +0000

Here in Philippines we saw a sign ‘free drink for bicycles’ I am sure they meant for the person riding bike. The idea is great in a country not known to be progressive. I am simply hoping that they don’t mean alcoholic drinks.

Comment on So Many Shoppers, So Much Unused Parking by Liberty Township Mall

Liberty Township Mall — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 00:22:53 +0000

Very nice!

Comment on So Many Shoppers, So Much Unused Parking by SquidHunter

SquidHunter — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 23:29:19 +0000

I think you meant 364 days, rather than 374…

Comment on Does That Parking Space Come with Fries? by Leslie Wilson

Leslie Wilson — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 17:12:23 +0000

Great analogy.
Even if a restaurant gives away chicken sandwiches, chicken sandwiches have cost. It costs money to provide the ingredients, store ingredients, labor costs to prepare, disposal costs, etc. Whether customers are paying for the chicken sandwich or not, the expenses involved are real. It is the same with parking.

There is a high cost to free parking. Automotive habitats are being built at great expense. The average cost to build structured parking in the U.S. is $15,000 per space. And the laws that require a minimum number of parking spaces is excessive, upping the costs even further. All across the country parking lots sit mostly empty. The only time they fill-up is at end-of-year holiday shopping. Wasted infrastructure, wasted money.

And there is the cost of maintenance and repair… sweeping, painting lines, broken pavement patching, and re-paving. The constant cost of maintenance for this parking space pavement drains public and private budgets. Parking is one of the biggest subsidies that cities, counties, and states provide. The national parking subsidy is well over a billion dollars per year.

Yet people claim that the free parking is necessary, because without the free parking the stores would get no business. But whether they realize it or not, they are paying for the parking in higher cost of goods in the stores and in higher taxes… and more importantly, less people-friendly infrastructure and more inhuman environs.