New Pedestrianism
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New Pedestrianism is a variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory. It was founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author. New Pedestrianism is an attempt to solve various social, health, economic, aesthetic, and environmental problems.
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[edit] Social
Reacting to the dominating influence of the automobile on American life, and the disconnection between neighbours resulting from a life bound to the privacy of house and vehicle, New Pedestrianism seeks to restore a sense of community to neighbourhoods by emphasising pedestrian nodes and linkages. Instead of the facing the traditional street, New Pedestrianism orients house frontages toward pedestrian pathways, with porches overlooking the lane, allowing for more social interaction between neighbors through the facility of shared space. The pedestrian walkways provide more opportunities for chance meetings than what is available in an environment dominated by vehicular transport and roading.
New Pedestrianism also emphasises the close proximity of community centers that facilitate commercial, recreation, and other activities. Pedestrian walkways are designed to connect to these facilities, further increasing opportunities for chance meetings and adding to the community feel. These centers allow residents to have access to basic needs and utilities without needing to use a vehicle, through the utilization of walkways.
With its emphasis on the relationship between urban form and social connectedness, New Pedestrianism gives effect to Crime prevention through environmental design principles. The pedestrian-friendly and neighbour-friendly environment makes it easier for people to be more aware of what is going on around them, more familiar with people and more discerning of unusual activity.
[edit] Health
New Pedestrianism provides an environment that encourages a fit and healthy lifestyle by prioritizing walkways over vehicular transport. Given that two thirds of Americans are obese or overweight, and that obesity results in 300,000 deaths per year[1], this is seen as a key strength to New Pedestrianism ideals. The Surgeon General has stated that if everyone would walk 10,000 steps each day it would decrease and even prevent obesity, and New Pedestrianism provides an environment that makes this possible.
[edit] Economics & Environment
The prioritization of pedestrian walkways is also considered a vital economic strength, given the rising price and increasing scarcity of oil. According to World Carfree Network, since 1976 the U.S.A. has used more oil than it produces. It currently imports 40 percent of its oil, and this constitutes one-third of the nation's trade deficit.”[2] The same source states that the average American spends 1600 hours a year devoted to the car, and notes the significant pressure this puts on our reliance on oil. New Pedestrianism creates environments that are less dependent on oil, tries to limit the need for foreign oil and oil in general by not using automobiles as often. In a pedestrian village, residents would not need to drive to the store, to school, or other such activities.
New Pedestrianism also includes the advocacy of public transport as the primary means of transport for New Pedestrianist communities, linking up the various community centres.
The importance of sustainability and the use of renewable energies is also emphasized, particularly solar energy. The installation of homes with solar panels is encouraged, as is the creation of solar fields to harvest energy for the whole community. This is seen as a much more cost-effective and economic form of energy than those currently available.
[edit] Aesthetics
Approximately one fifth of the American city is devoted to automobile use.[3] The pressures and demands of traffic jams and expensive infrastructure, and the low aesthetic value of black-top parking lots, unattractive architecture, and numerous kinds of pollution, all result in an environment that is increasingly unattractive for many people. The emphasis on pedestrian walkways in New Pedestrianism emphasizes the role of open space and good design in enhancing an urban neighbourhood. Vehicles and roads are provided for, but are located at the rear of homes and are lined with trees and sidewalks. Liveable environments are also encouraged adjacent to roads, but the primary orientation must be towards the pedestrian walkways.
Arth articulates the design of a model pedestrian walkway as follows;[4]
“Formal, tree-lined pedestrian lanes, 12’ to 15’ wide, that connect to plazas, amenities, water features, and a neighborhood or village center. These lanes are texture coded. They have a smooth portion for rolling conveyances (bicycles, Segways, wheelchairs, skates, etc) and a textured portion for pedestrians.”
[edit] History
An outgrowth of New Urbanism, New Pedestrianism has its roots in compact, mixed-use neighborhoods common in the United States (and elsewhere) during the first quarter of the 20th century. New Pedestrianism borrows and then expands especially upon experiments in urban design that focused on separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic.[5]
In Venice, California around 1905, "walk streets" were constructed in a few blocks near the beach. Houses faced pedestrian lanes that ranged between sidewalk width and about ten feet wide. Alleys in the rear handled cars. The canals in Venice, California, built during the same period, had both sidewalks and canals in front of the houses.[6]
Urban planners Ebenezer Howard and Sir Patrick Geddes were an early influence on the design of Radburn, New Jersey, built at the dawn of the automobile age in 1929. Radburn had pedestrian lanes in front and vehicular access at the rear on cul-de-sacs that protruded into large multi-use blocks. A study done in 1970 by John Lansing of the University of Michigan showed that 47% of its residents did their grocery shopping on foot, compared to 8% for a conventional subdivision nearby. He also determined that, overall, Radburn residents drove far less than in any other areas he studied. The Radburn plan has been copied in various forms in Sweden, England, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.[7]
The San Antonio River Walk, also known as "Paseo del Rio," was initiated in 1929. In this case, the San Antonio River underwent flood control measures and was turned into a peaceful canal lined on both sides with lively pedestrian promenades, plazas, sidewalk cafes, restaurants, clubs, shops, hotels, and other attractions that are completely separate from any vehicles. The promenades pass underneath the roads since Paseo del Rio is one level below the street and vehicular access to buildings is one story above the river.[8]
Village Homes in Davis, California was founded in 1975 by Michael and Judy Corbett. The 70 acre subdivision has 225 homes and 20 apartments. Solar design and solar panels are utilized for heating. The homes have walkways passing through an extensive greenbelt system on one side of the houses with automobile access on the other side.[9]
[edit] Differences to New Urbanism
New Pedestrianism clearly prioritizes pedestrian traffic ahead of vehicular traffic. New Urbanism, on the other hand, seeks a compromise between automobiles and pedestrians, and incorporates both together on the same street. It applies traffic calming techniques to provide a safer and more aesthetically pleasing street. Community centers work with pedestrians to make it a comfortable environment, though they still allow cars access and provide parking for them. Public transportation is emphasized, but remains underutilized due to the friendlier accommodation of vehicles and roading. The emphasis is more on efficient land use per square metre rather than on energy efficiency in general.The Principles of Intelligent Urbanism promotes pedestrian zones, such as walkable neighborhood urban villages, but also accommodates vehicles within the over-all structure plans, in the form of movement corridors.
[edit] Examples
- Palm Garden, Downtown DeLand's Historic Garden District
- Mill Springs, DeLand, Florida
- Casa de Lila, Los Angeles
- El Cielito Springs, Santa Barbara
- Beverly Hills
- Hollywood Cove
