What can you get to within a 15-minute walk of your house?
A recent YouGov survey asked Americans what they think they should be able to get to within a 15-minute walk of their house.
Of these choices, I can currently walk to all of them from my apartment, aside from a university (no biggie, I'm not currently studying, although there is a Tafe within walking distance), a hospital, and a sports arena.
How many can you get to with a 15 minute walk from your house?
#fuckcars #walkability #urbanism #UrbanPlanning @fuck_cars #walking
@ajsadauskas @fuck_cars I’m in Toronto’s Danforth area, so basically everything except a professional sports arena is within 5-20 mins walk.
The framing of that poll has such a sinister American conspiracy theorist edge: “if your local government decided…” — like having these things nearby can only be forced upon you and you must fight back.
@CStamp @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Most charitably, they don’t think food security without a car should be legislated. Less charitably, they want to ensure the car-less never live near them.
@CStamp @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Also very important to remember that “riffraff” is almost exclusively a racist definition for these situations. It adds more depth to all these situations and the solutions. Every story of bad planning is about keeping Black folk, Indigenous folk, or basically anyone not sufficiently white, out of [insert neighbourhood name here]. Class and income come into play too, but always subservient to race.
@CStamp @c_9 @fuck_cars It would also be interesting to see a regional and a rural/inner urban/suburban breakdown as well.
I suspect the numbers might be very different between, say, someone who lives in the heart of Brooklyn vs a rural town in Idaho (where everything in town is or could be a 15-minute walk) vs a suburb of Dallas or Atlanta.
@ajsadauskas @CStamp @c_9 @fuck_cars I live next door to a single woman who is solidly middle class, lives within 5 walking-minutes of a grocery store and restaurants. She never EVER walks, preferring instead to fire up her oversized, gas guzzling, Cadillac Escalade (to drive 60 seconds).
Why?
Because America. 🤦🏼🤦🏼🤦🏼
@CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Bus stop is weirder. Do they want to drive to one?
@seanddotmedotuk @CStamp @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Easy: “the people who use bus stops are not welcome in my neighbourhood.”
@c_9 @CStamp @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Thankfully, I don't think people here have reached that state of mind. Lots of people would never get on a bus themselves, but I think there's a general feeling that they are a good thing, just not good enough to actually use.
@CStamp @seanddotmedotuk @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars measuring travel time should include parking at both ends of the trip when driving. And the level of concentration required to drive is more stressful -- I would rather be able to read or knit or something (if the distance is not walkable) than have to pay attention to the road.
@CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Yes, I know, for my commute, it is quicker to walk than to take the bus!
However adding bus lanes, banning cars from city centres etc could make the times closer.
@CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars Yes, fully appreciate that. I was originally referring to those who choose not to use a bus because it is beneath them.
@CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars
At the local Safeway it is assumed you drive because every receipt comes with a gas coupon. If you arrive with a backpack, for carrying, it is assumed you are a thief. The changes would mean people would need to check their assumptions and possibly adjust corporate enabling.
@CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars many people envision grocery shopping as too big to manage without a car. They are buying large quantities to take advantage of sales or bulk discounts.
@ocursedspite @CStamp @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars and then throwing out 40% of the food when it rots before they can eat it
@CStamp @ocursedspite @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars it's not a hard and fast rule and maybe it doesn't apply to you personally (I don't think I throw out that much food either and I try really hard not to), but yes, Americans waste a ton of our food supply by just throwing it in the garbage. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-why-americans-throw-out-165-billion-in-food-every-year-2016-07-22
@CStamp @ocursedspite @c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars I was just trying to give you something accessible so you didn't have to go searching for the information. It's also possible that I was misremembering the exact thing that that number was representing but Americans throw out a lot of their food. That was the statement I was making. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X19300194#b0085
@c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars a lot of these polls have a conservative subtext to the question.
@c_9 @ajsadauskas @fuck_cars
Interesting poll. Did you notice 'gas station' hiding in there?
That's irrelevant if you're walking, and also irrelevant if you're driving - so, a red herring. The only time you go to a gas station is when you're driving and your need gas.