This just in: We're a walkin' kinda town

3 comments

July 17, 2:41 PM

by Tony Long, North Beach Examiner

 

 

Actually, we've known it since, like, forever, but now we've got a website that says it's so, so it must really be true. Because the internet is never wrong.

Look, forgive me for not getting the vapors over this startling piece of news, but you don't need to consult some study on a website to tell you what is fairly obvious to anyone with eyes: San Francisco is a small, compact city, so it's easy to walk from one place to another. It's also a very pretty city, so there are nice things to look at while you're walking. It's a diverse city of neighborhoods, each neighborhood having its own character, so it's an interesting city to walk in. The weather is generally mild, so you won't sweat too much while you walk. Parking is terrible in most neighborhoods and you probably don't have a garage, so if you're smart you don't own a car and that means you're likely to walk a lot.

And there you have it: the most walkable city in America.

Given the fact that walkability is a good thing -- it's healthy, both for the individual and the environment -- we have reason to be happy. But we also have reason to be vigilant. These are the kinds of studies city planners and real estate developers use to justify building taller buildings, on the theory that if a little density is good, more density is better. (Plus, tall buildings rake in a lot of dough.) They talk about the vibrant street life and bustling shops that increased density brings, even as their monoliths destroy the city's character, casting long shadows and turning sidewalks into cold, forbidding wind tunnels.

San Francisco has more than enough density to have vibrant streets and busy shops. We've been blessed. It's time to share the wealth. Other Bay Area towns and cities should enjoy the benefits of increased density, too: San Jose, Oakland ... and Walnut Creek, Palo Alto and Mill Valley. Those people should be able to walk to work, too, right? It reduces the carbon footprint, doesn't it?

But be careful. You don't want to overdo it. If you overdo it, then suddenly your city isn't as pretty as it once was and there isn't so much to see as you walk along. Luxury condos, which is what most of these new high rises are about, drive out diversity by crushing the middle and working classes, who can't afford to live in them. Say what you will, but walking through a city of stockbrokers and software engineers is not very interesting. High-rise clusters change the environment by casting shadows and blocking light and redirecting wind, and suddenly what was a comfortable walk is not so comfortable anymore. When that happens, you might decide that, even if you don't have a garage, you'll go out and buy a car anyway.

North Beach, incidentally, was rated as one of the most walkable neighborhoods in this most walkable city. That comes as no surprise, either. While it's no longer the North Beach of the '50s, '60s or '70s (and, baby, those were the days), this is still a great place to be a pedestrian. Why? Look around. We have all these great bars and cafes. The buildings are generally no taller than two or three stories. There's a human scale to the place that invites you to get out and walk around. Even in the heart of a major city, there's a lot of sky over your head: blue, gray or mottled.

As we gird our loins for the possibility of a subway extension into the neighborhood, think about these things. Because with the subway will come a push to increase density. Buildings that used to be two stories tall will suddenly be four or five or even six stories tall and you won't be able to afford living in one, no matter how tall they are. The yups with dough will follow, and the things you find endearing will only annoy them and they'll start complaining about everything at their whine bars.

When that happens, you may want to take a walk and just keep right on going.

   Subscribe   Feed

Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use