This is one of the familiar refrains I often hear in car-oriented places where plans for the development of new walkable urbanism are being proposed.
It can often really be hard for people living in places designed around automobile dominance to imagine that, with the right built environment, traveling on foot could be possible (even pleasant!) in challenging weather.
I want to share a reassuring typical winter snapshot from last week here in Budapest:
This is the Szent István körút, one of Budapest's large ring avenues. (4 lanes of traffic, plus dedicated center tram lines and outer bus / bike lanes).
The temperature is 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius), and the sidewalk is covered with a layer of ice and snow:
Though the temperature is quite cold, all that is required for comfort are a few layers of winter clothing. People (including my 4-year old son Benji in the red hat) are going about their normal daily routines and enjoying their stroll along the broad sidewalk.
The key is a built environment that is specifically designed to be comfortable for people on foot.
The relatively simple but powerful ingredients are time-tested:
- The street space is well-shaped by buildings to form an embracing "outdoor room".
- Plentiful front doors and windows face the street to add liveliness.
- Sidewalks are generous in width.
- Well-placed trees and bollards protect people on foot from moving cars.
- There are interesting shops, signs, architectural details and people to look at.
- A rich mix of uses helps provide places to occasionally step in out of the cold.
