(or, my backup title — “They think we’re lazy”)
The commonly accepted distance that Americans are believed to be willing to walk is one-quarter-mile, which takes about 5-6 minutes to cover on foot. Many people, including Roger K. Lewis, of the Washington Post, believe we’re made of stronger stuff than that.
As Lewis pointed out in his column last week, people will walk for longer if the urban design lends itself to walking. There are a number of suggestions that Lewis details in his column, so there is no reason for me to belabor the point here. Go and read! (h/t to Gradon Tripp for tweeting about this article last week!)
We need to keep this in mind as we move forward here in Richmond.
And speaking of Richmond, what are some of the best examples of where Lewis’s suggestions have been applied here in RVA?
How far do you normally walk to go to dinner, get coffee, visit friends?
I’m a strong believer in working from home and having a very flexible schedule. I was able to cut my daily commute from 203 miles round-trip to just 12 feet. The best decision ever. There are a couple of out of town trips per month, but other than that, I’m as mobile as I can.
Richmond is in a unique situation because there are still affordable housing in most areas. This makes moving from one area to another relatively easy.
As far as walking or even biking, my personal experience has been that the Greater Richmond area is not friendly for those who would like to bike or walk unless you live in the fan/downtown area; however is seems friendly enough for scooters.
Regardless of the current situation, the new generations are as mobile as ever. It will be just a matter of time before we get more control of our time and work schedule.