Modern Vespa

Only thing missing is scooters and motorcycles

https://culdesac.com/tempe/

Giving this thread a bump, thought there would be more interest in experimental cities like this.

Last 15 years before retiring I purposely made my work and home life close. Two decades of commuting 5 to 15+ hours a week and or dodging mirrors on a sake rocket was enough, all for a few dollars more, in the end, it was actually costing more money not to mention time, peace of mind, health and risk.

Majority of miles driven last 2 decades have been on the clock in a company vehicle or pleasure miles.

Interesting, but a bit pricey, at least for my tastes. And where to park the Vespa?

I'm definitely interested in concepts like this, though a single link posted to a glossy but not very substantive advertising page is probably not going to engage many people on the subject.

If anyone is curious about what this project is riffing on, it's the 15-minute city concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city

I would like to point out that walkability is the desirable trait here — absence of all cars isn't strictly necessary or even desirable. In fact, in the US, I think that will be a liability and will inhibit the potential buyers.

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

Hey now, let's not send this topic veering into politics. I've removed a couple of posts that crossed into that territory.

Walkable cities are not political, even if the politicians cast the idea in that light in their feeble attempt to stay in power.

Thanks for the balanced approach/removing not just mine

The walkable neighborhood is not a new thing.

There are neighborhoods all around the country that have everything a person needs within reasonable walking distance.

They were mostly developed in the early 1900's, before the automobile became so popular and corporations took over the retail sector.

I live in one, the Riverside Avondale neighborhood in Jacksonville, FL, developed between 1915 and 1935.

Within it's roughly three square mile area are numerous restaurants, churches, coffee shops, retail shops, breweries, bars, a movie theatre, a Publix, a hospital and many housing units, mostly single family with many duplexes, quads and larger apartment buildings.

There are no roads wider than two lanes.

The heavy traffic is on Roosevelt Boulevard (US-17) that forms one of the boundaries to the neighborhood.

I live and work in the area, having a commute of only .8 mile that I take every day on one of my scooters.

My wife and I hardly ever leave the area as it offers everything we need.

She takes four mile walks often, usually with our dog and sees many other residents doing the same.

I take a six mile bicycle ride early morning on Saturdays and Sundays and see little traffic.

While I ride a scooter to work and for shopping and running errands, I could easily walk or bicycle for almost all of my needs.

Luckily the neighborhood voted to become a historic district 25 years ago, protecting the houses and commercial buildings from development.

People who move to Jacksonville often settle in the newer neighborhoods, those that have only very similar, packed in, cheap looking houses where the only way to do any shopping or run errands is to get into the car, head to the adjacent highway and drive.

They could easily find a house in one of the historic neighborhoods and enjoy all of the good things they offer.

I know that similar neighborhoods are found in every city in the country.

Bill

No they are not, but some of these supposed neighbors act like they are. There are a few of these in my area, although one is really a 55 plus semi-retirement community where only golf carts are allowable on most of the narrow roads. But they all have the same thing in common - selling the idea of staying in the area as everything you need is just a short walk away. The problem is all the retail shops, food markets, restaurants, sport bars, etc .... pay high rent to be in these new areas. That price is passed along to the consumers. The result has been many do no stay in business more than a year. The few that survive are franchises that the outsiders keep going (Starbucks) and a couple bars. The HOAs are incredibly restrictive to the point of rules on the type and color of the front window drapes and outdoor furniture on front porches. Nothing like a small, walkable town they are trying to emulate. I think if you want the walkable city(I do), you look for one that is already established like Riverside Avondale, much like the small SE Florida town I grew up in.

Agreed, definitely not a new thing. But increasingly rare. Zoning laws in the US have largely prevented that kind of neighborhood from being repeated in modern times, though (as Tierney points out) some development projects have attempted to replicate it. I dare say that few — if any — have succeeded at creating a new version of the genuine article, though. More like a McWalkable City with Cheese.

One of the reasons my wife and I are interested in living in the EU is specifically to be in a more walkable environment.

Zillow lists walkable and bikeable scores, ours is pretty good with every service imaginable and many grocery stores in easy walking distance.
Improvements could be made, without starting from scratch, for instance the main roadway in shopping centers parking lots are directly in front of store's entrances and outdoor dining areas.
And almost all relatively safe and efficient bike routes have small hazardous sections, like freeway on ramps or narrow sections without enough room for an auto and car to go safely through side by side.

Wow, that's lot's better than my neighborhood. If I want a beer outside the house, I'd need to walk about a half mile.

well, because you walked a half mile that means you get two! and then add a third for the walk back. that's how beer math works.

I could ride my bicycle there, but I rode drunk once, never again.