Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
2 min read April 2024 –– An overreliance on cars has shaped the way U.S. cities look and feel for decades. But as more awareness and interest shifts to resilient, walkable streets that encourage active transportation and community cohesion, urban spaces are seeing a transformation.
According to historical data from Google Trends, common mobility-related terms such as ‘walkable’ and ‘last mile’ are showing the highest search interest since the search engine began tracking metrics in 2004.
The current transportation mix contributes to more than 42,000 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes annually in the United States, continuously rising since 2010 as cited by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Coupled with the high share of all greenhouse gas emissions (28%), the transportation sector has put a constraint on both public safety and the environment –– leading to a shift in how people prefer to live.
“Recent research has looked at what people want in communities. Our recent National Association of Realtors study showed that walkable green spaces were among the top amenities that people wanted in their communities,” said Billy Fields, professor of political science at Texas State University and lead author of the ‘Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities.’ King spoke at the recent Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure: Lessons from Global Cities event, hosted by FAU’s Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions.
“The real answer is that we have not followed best practices around the country and around the world,” said Fields, highlighting the need to adopt Vision Zero practices that manage speeds to safe levels to prevent accidents in pursuit of achieving zero traffic deaths by 2050.
“These changes are small in community and community after community, but they add up to really large numbers over time,” he added.
In West Palm Beach, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has worked with the limited space it has to create a high quality of life for its residents. A new development known as Transit Village is expected to create 1,000 new apartment units, hotel rooms, restaurants and transportation options. After almost a decade of planning, Transit Village will cost around $1.3 billion and will be fully walkable and cyclable, with easy access to highways and commuter rail stations. Transit Village builds upon the success of The Square, a mixed-use neighborhood that incorporates retail, cuisine, design, art and mixed-use space in the heart of West Palm Beach.
READ MORE: Invest: Palm Beach 5th Anniversary Edition
Further south in Broward County’s city of Hollywood, the focus has been on turning corridors into pedestrian-friendly walkways.
Hollywood’s main street is undergoing a transformation. The Hollywood Boulevard Streetscape Project, a $14.5 million endeavor that is planned to finish by September 2024, converts parking spaces into wider sidewalks and increases space for outdoor cafes. The reconstruction from 21st Ave. to Young Circle, where the ArtsPark connects the community to recreation and entertainment events, is a significant undertaking that is nearly 90% funded by the CRA. As described on the agency’s website, “During events such as parades or weekend festivals, where vehicle access is curtailed, pedestrians will be able to safely walk the new plaza-like configuration of Hollywood Blvd. without the need to step up or down a curb which provides for a safer and more pleasant pedestrian experience.”
“We’ve attracted investment through hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure and streetscape improvements,” Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy told Invest:.
“We’re refreshing roads, lighting, parks, sports fields and playgrounds – and it’s making for a city that people really want to live, learn, work and invest in.”
READ MORE: Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale 2023-2024
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