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‘People are happier in a walkable neighborhood’: the US community that banned cars

A new housing development outside Phoenix is looking towards European cities for inspiration and shutting out the cars. So far residents love it

https://www.theguardian.com/ci...orhood-tempe-arizona

I'm not interested in living in AZ, but the concept of this kind of community is intriguing to me.

Developments like this are similar to walkable urban areas. Perfect for singles who can work from home, nice for Dinks and retired folks. Builders love them because they’re super dense and utilities are clustered.

But get a dog and a couple of kids and the concept no longer works.

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Originally posted by Steve Miller:

But get a dog and a couple of kids and the concept no longer works.

So what do they do in walkable European cities with dogs and kids?

I love the idea of a walkable city and I would prefer not to need to drive... But I wonder how a community of 1000 people can sustain a grocery store and other amenities mentioned in the article.

Separate from that, I don't want to live in apartment or condo-style living, I want a dedicated piano room.... I also want sidewalks to be shady and for there to be green around my house (maybe this Arizona location isn't the best spot for that, so it's not the community-style per se).

Also, all the new housing developments I've seen with single-family homes on super small plots don't appeal to me either...

Guess I'm just a curmudgeon

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Originally posted by RealPlayer:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:

But get a dog and a couple of kids and the concept no longer works.

So what do they do in walkable European cities with dogs and kids?

I think a lot of them move to the ‘burbs. Others spend a lot of time trying to find things for the kids to do - easier in a dense urban area than in this suburban apartment complex.

I wonder how the residents of that community get to work? There is a Metro in Tempe but I can’t tell how close it is to this development.

Here’s the website. Nice apartments, not inexpensive. I suspect parking in the surrounding neighborhoods is going to be a nightmare.

https://culdesac.com/

Here's the website for Culdesac:

https://culdesac.com/tempe/

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How you move defines how you live
Culdesac Tempe is designed for walkability. We've partnered with the world's leading mobility companies to bring you the most affordable and convenient ways to get around town. As a resident, you'll receive 15% off all Lyft rides, free rides on the metro, and Bird scooters just a minute away.

15% off all Lyft rides
Free rides on the metro
Carsharing starting at $5/hour with Envoy
100+ Bird scooters on-site
1,000+ bike parking spots

Quirt and I are moving to a very walkable town, but I can't imagine doing away with our cars. In (on?) Manhattan, yes, but there are very few places in this country where you can go completely carless.

For example, we'll be able to walk to a small grocery store. I'll likely be able to get most of what I want there or at the farmer's market, but Quirt is going to want to drive to a bigger supermarket and his beloved TJ's and Costco. We can walk to a tiny hardware store, but there are going to be times when we want a full selection and won't want to wait for delivery.

We're going to be able to walk to a bus-to-train situation that will get us to Grand Central Station in an hour, so entertainment and shopping for things we can carry will be a no-brainer. Perhaps at some point as we age, we'll opt for Lyft and carsharing, but I'm a lifelong surburbanite. I need (and perhaps it's just an emotional need) the capacity to haul things and, honestly, I just like the freedom of my own wheels.

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I just like the freedom of my own wheels

I agree! And I think this is a huge thing for a lot of Americans. So it may work to facilitate communities so it's possible to drive a lot less, but I wonder if the actual prohibition on owning a car is a barrier to getting people to live in communities like the one in Arizona.

We are in a pretty walkable/bikeable community here, what might have been called suburban in the 19th century: Victorian homes, business district, village green. All 1 mile from the ferry to Manhattan. Lots of bus service and one train. If you look up a map of Stapleton, Staten Island you can see how convenient it is.

Until I was hit by a car 3 years ago and took a hiatus from biking, I biked almost everywhere, and in this area it's easy to get to everything. I always believed the bicycle is one of the greatest inventions.

Most of Staten Island is car culture. I do drive but don't love it...I hate shopping malls and such, and it's at least a 20 minute drive to the local one. My wife really needed a car to get to work in NJ, though she is retired now. We still do use the car a good amount. I plan to get back on the bike when I get more comfortable with it.

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Until I was hit by a car 3 years ago

I remember when that happened!

And this is another barrier to giving up cars -- most places, most roads etc. are not sufficiently bike-friendly. And between structural issues and cultural ones (i.e., too many people drive like a-holes) it's often not safe for cyclists.

It's a bit of a misnomer. It may be a "walkable community" but it's smack dab in the middle of Tempe. It's conveniently located, right on the rail line so in that sense you don't need a car if you want to go anywhere the light rail goes - airport, downtown sports/cultural areas, ASU. But anywhere else and you're out of luck.

I love the idea, though. And to your question, SK, it can support a grocery store, etc. because it's literally RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TEMPE. Like a say, a misnomer. Any other apartment building in the area would also be a "walkable community." I'm guessing (if it's allowed) that lots of nearby residents would also take advantage of their grocery store.

And the great unspoken: it's going to be full of students, VRBOs and other rentals. That wouldn't appeal to me, but obviously it would for an investor (or a rich set of parents wanting to buy their kid an apartment while they're going to school).