Jeff Speck on Walkability: "You have to separate downtown from other urban areas."

The interview is excellent, and touches on the high points of Specks' "Walkable City book, but notice in the introduction where the link leads: Straight to Amazon.

Jeff Speck on Walkability: The Livability Interview

The topic of walkability comes up quickly in most conversations about what makes a city a great place to live. While cars are often perceived as a freedom-producing device, having the freedom to get away from them, too, can be key. But what makes a city walkable? Jeff Speck, coauthor of the landmark bestseller Suburban Nation, is out with a new book entitled Walkable City. The book does a great job of outlining the necessary requirements for being a walkable city. You should read it, but I’ll give you a hint: It takes more than sidewalks. We spoke via phone about how walkability and livability relate and what other factors go into the livability equation. First off, he says, we need to fix the incentives. 

Livability: Are there places that aren’t walkable?

Mr. Speck: Most of sprawl is unfixable. Almost any city built before World War II, if it has any economic growth whatsoever, has a downtown that is ready to come back to life – if it hasn’t already. If we’re interested in growing into the 21st century in a sustainable way, our governments at every scale need to create programs that make it easier for people to move to those places and work instead of into sprawl.