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Walkable Commercial Districts The US Experience. Gary Hack Dean Emeritus and Professor of Urban Design University of Pennsylvania. Gary Hack …… (imagine me speaking). What do we mean by “walkable commercial areas?”.
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Walkable Commercial DistrictsThe US Experience Gary Hack Dean Emeritus and Professor of Urban Design University of Pennsylvania
What do we mean by “walkable commercial areas?” • Neighborhood serving cluster of shops, services and entertainment serving nearby residential area. • Downtown pedestrian zones serving workers and people who arrive by transit or autos. • Main (high) streets in smaller towns and cities. • Transit oriented centers along metro or tram lines.
What does research tell us about the viability of walkable commercial areas? • A significant fraction of urbanites would like to live within walking distance of such areas. • Housing is more valuable if near such areas. • More people walk when commercial uses are clustered near their homes or offices. • Commercial rents are higher in walkable centers. • Density matters. • Pedestrian friendly neighborhoods attract more commercial opportunities.
Demand for living near walkable shopping areas. • 29% of Atlanta residents and 40% of Boston residents would like to live where they can walk to a commercial area. (2005) • Nationally, a consumer preference survey found that 66% of Americans prefer a residential area that is “within walking distance of stores, restaurants and other places in a community.” (2011) • The number of housing units where this is possible is less than the demand.
2 Impacts on housing prices • When new housing is available in Atlanta within walking distance of shops and services it can command a premium of $20,000. (1999) • Housing with above average Walk Scores is priced $4,000-$34,000 higher than average scores in 15 cities surveyed. (2009) Walk Scores measure the accessibility of shops and amenities within 5-30 minutes of a location
3 Impacts on walking • The presence of nearby shops and services is the best predictor of whether people actually walk to destinations. (2006) • Residents will tend to walk to local shopping districts if they are within 20 minutes of home or located near transit opportunities (2006)
4 Commercial sales and rents • Retail properties with a Walk Score of 80 were valued 54% higher than those with a Walk Score of 20. (2010) • They have a NOI that is 42% higher. (2010) Caution: some of the best local shopping districts have lower rents than other areas, which is what makes them attractive to diverseoutlets.
5 Impacts of density • Residents in areas with net densities greater than 21.7 units per acre are more likely to walk to shopping or other local destinations. (2006) • The three “D’s” – Density, Diversity and Design result in fewer driving trips and more walking and cycling. (1997)
6 Range of outlets attracted • Walkable commercial districts attract 3 to 4 times as many commercial outlets as do drive-to districts (2011) • Pedestrian improvements can pay dividends in attracting new outlets. In Lodi California, they helped attract 30 new shops, and increased sales of 30%. (2000) • Encouraging cycling can also increase revenues of shops in walkable districts. In San Francisco, one area reported 37% sales increases. (2003)
Apartments Big Box Area Entertainment Offices Main Street Shopping Kentlands Shopping Area, Gaithersburg, Maryland
