How to Make a Neighborhood More Sustainable & More Walkable

Spoiler alert: I don’t actually know how to do this yet. But, I intend to spend 2018 finding out — you are invited to come along.

A young hiker enjoys Piestawa Peak Preserve.

Overview

There is lots I love about my suburban neighborhood in Arizona. It offers great neighbors, beautiful desert views, and fifty miles of hiking trails at Piestawa Peak Preserve. Although only twenty minutes drive from Sky Harbor Airport, Old Town Scottsdale, and Downtown Phoenix, the desert-landscaped neighborhood is home to javelinas, coyotes, and bobcats.

What the neighborhood lacks, however, is walkability. It is hard to get to places by foot. Sidewalks stop at odd points; two nearby walking centers are virtually inaccessible by foot; the parking lot at the nearby hiking area overflows while a disjointed crosswalk system discourages pedestrian access. There are also broader issues of sustainability, such as the interface between urban wildlife and residents, or the lack of a communal gathering area.

My 2018 New Years Resolution to try to improve my neighborhood. I do not yet know, exactly, what that means or how to achieve it. But, I intend to find out.

The Intersection of 32nd Street and Lincoln Avenue (courtesy Google Maps)

I plan to document this resolution to share one experience with an individuals’ effort to improve the natural environment at a micro local level. Admittedly, this is a project of privilege — there are many aspects of my situation ranging from home ownership to neighborhood safety that would make such a goal inaccessible or trivial compared to other, more pressing concerns. And, as a law professor who teaches in the areas of land use, environmental law, and natural resources, I have an unusual amount of access to resources and people who know about this stuff. My hope is that drawing on these resources to document the nuts-and-bolts effort to make my community more sustainable will help and inspire others to do the same. Thus, I plan to report what I learn here — showing through my mistakes and (hopefully!) successes how to translate a social objective into action on a micro-level level.

Satellite View of My Neighborhood (courtesy Google Maps)

Urban Planning

Studies suggest that there are numerous benefits associated with being able to walk around your neighborhood. From social to health outcomes, people do better in places where they can conduct their daily lives partially by foot or bicycle. Yet, Phoenix has a reputation as one of the least walkable areas in the United States. Although innovative plans are transforming the downtown, many residents live in suburbs that require daily reliance on driving to get around.

What makes a city sustainable? To be honest, I’m not really sure. But, others, like the team at the Sustainable Cities Initiative at Arizona State University, have devoted their lives to answering this question. I plan to draw upon this resource and others to find out what they know, which I will try to apply at a very small scale.

Draft Goals

Here are the pre-goals of my project. Let’s be clear: these are just unfiltered ideas that I mull over on evening walks. I have not yet talked with my neighbors or local government officials or sustainability experts to see whether they are valid. Caveats aside, here is what I am thinking of advocating for:

The lack of sidwalk on this portion of 32nd Street creates a danger for runners, bikers, and drivers (courtesy of Google Maps)

1. A crosswalk on the east side of 32nd Street and Lincoln.
2. A safe, paved walking path from the corner of 32nd Street and Lincoln to the Starbucks and adjacent walking center.
3. A sidewalk connecting Stanford Avenue to Marlette along 32nd Street.
4. A playground adjacent to the Piestawa Peak parking lot, or elsewhere nearby.
5. An education campaign about the wildlife habitat that our neighborhood provides, and how to build upon existing strength to better support indigenous plants and wildlife.
6. A sense of neighborhood participation and input into creating an ongoing, socially-acceptable plan to continue to increase the livability, walkability, and sustainability of our neighborhood.
7. A resource bank for others trying to transform their neighborhoods into more walkable, sustainable communities.

In future posts, I will go through these goals one-by-one to show what the current challenge is and how I hope to address it. I welcome and encourage input on any point. What do you think that I should add to this list of goals? Anything that should be changed or removed?