Livable Cities

I am a Planning Commissioner for the City of Tacoma, Washington. Recently at a meeting of the Planning Commission we had a discussion of how American cities are not as walk-able or livable as old European cities due to the building and zoning codes that we have in place.

After the conversation someone suggested putting up pictures on a blog. That is what this is. I’ve reached back over the years for pictures that I’ve taken in beautiful, walk-able Old World cities of Europe and assembled a collection to demonstrate what aspects make a city beautiful and livable.

To start, every old world city has one or more Town Squares. The Town Square is a large open space that is used for public events, like markets or festivals. The buildings on the outside of the Town Square usually have restaurants on the ground floor and housing on the second and third floors. Usually there is a fountain or statue in the middle of the Town Square. Sometimes there is underground parking beneath the Square.

There is usually public art to be found in urban areas. Things like statues and fountains give people something to look at. They give people a reason to be outside and part of the community. Sometimes the art is on buildings. Sometimes it is along water ways. Other times it is right in the middle of traffic, such as at the center of a roundabout (a substitute for a stop light).

Old World cities are extremely walk-able. They had to be, because they were built before cars were invented. Usually the streets are narrow (allowing a greater density of population).  People use bicycle and public transportation (light rail, buses, trains, etc.) to get around, so there is less need for cars (which require unsightly parking lots). Sometimes pedestrians share streets with cars. Some streets are closed off to cars during certain times of day. Instead of shopping malls, there are shopping streets. On Shopping streets the first two floors are usually stores. The third floors are usually housing or offices.

In walk-able communities the buildings are very decorative. You see a lot more when you are walking, so you want the things that you see to be beautiful. Up until the 1920’s, we used to make decorative buildings in the United States too. City Halls are ornately constructed. Churches are of course extremely elaborate. Even normal buildings like houses and hotels are very elegantly designed so that they are pleasant to look at.

People like to be near water. As a result, the waterfronts in Old World cities are very developed and livable. Rarely is the waterfront an ugly industrial zone. Instead it usually has a walk way along it. Next to the walkway there are usually row houses and trees. Part of this is because waterways used to be a convenient method to travel, but it creates a very nice place to be.

I’m not saying that Tacoma can be Venice or Bruges, because it can’t be. It shouldn’t try to be. However we can take lessons from the vibrant livable urban areas of the world and incorporate those lessons into the place that we live.

Photos courtesy of Marijke Van Stichel. 

Copyright © 2011 Matt Nutsch. All rights reserved.