Pedestrian-oriented, car free update Fall 2010

What are the latest signs of a growing market for developing neighborhoods that focus on living rather than transporting?

– Gen Yers are giving cars a pass according to a Kiplinger article. Drivers aged 21 to 30 now account for 14% of miles driven, down from 21% in 1995, choosing mass transit, Zipcar and smartphones instead.

– The rise of mixed-use development means less car use, according to a report by the Journal of the American Planning Association, “The best way to minimize driving appears to be to develop in existing centers near the core of the metropolitan area, in areas of high destination accessibility where there are a whole lot of jobs near by. That’s the most important single factor.”

– Cairo, Egypt is planning to develop pedestrian zones in its urban cores, inspired by Europe’s historic neighborhoods.

– U.S. car ownership declines for the first time ever. In 2009, Americans bought 10 million cars and said goodbye to 14 million of them.

– New York City’s Plaza Program is investing in the transformation of at least 31 streets into pedestrian plazas, with round four coming up next year. San Francisco continues their Pavements-to-Parks program as well.

– The Better Block folks wrapped up their second crowdsourced placemaking demonstration of what a pedestrian-friendly street should look like, and are now underway with a pedestrian-only plaza. Keep up to date with all three projects here.

What are other others stories that should be added to this list?

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neilkt