by Roberta Fabbrocino

What do the cities of Dublin, Bruxelles and Turin have in common? They aren't just all European fluvial towns featuring stunning architecture; they are also cities where more than eighty percent of residents are within a one-kilometer walk of education and healthcare. 

The presence of mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods in cities can make a massive difference in the city's residents' health, happiness, and well-being. Adopting a human-centered approach to urban planning and rethinking the importance of private transportation modes is critical to building socially and environmentally sustainable cities. Building resilient cities is a need made even more pressing by the current urbanization trend, with about fifty-six percent of the world's population living in cities.

What is a walkable city?

The term walkability refers to the ease and safety of reaching a destination in a neighborhood or a city within a reasonable distance from one's home. In walkable cities, there are enough areas for pedestrians in public spaces for driving to be unnecessary for everyday errands. 

In 15-minute cities, residents can reach the places and services that serve their day-to-day needs by a 15-minute walk and are examples of walkable cities. 

The importance of (free) public transport

Efficient and reliable public transport is essential to ensure city residents can travel within their whole city and reach services and places further away. Making sure that public transport is dependable, catered towards people's mobility needs, and free of charge ensures that this service is truly accessible to everyone and it encourages its usage. 

As many people live in cities and areas where public transport is inaccessible or unreliable, public transport that is both efficient and free might seem like a utopia. Still, it's already a reality in many cities worldwide, such as Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia in Eastern Europe, and the entire small Western-European country of Luxembourg.

How can a city become walkable?

Many cities around the world are walkable simply because most of their neighborhoods developed before cars were around. Since then, the focus of their urban planning hasn't shifted from people to vehicles. 

In cities and neighborhoods developed with cars in mind, there is the risk of exacerbating social inequalities if urban planning doesn't consider the needs of the community it will concern. By truly understanding the needs of a community and ensuring meaningful resident participation, communities can benefit from walkability without facing the threat of displacement.