CityNerd | In Search of Car-Free America: Why Walkable Places Are Popular for Vacation but Not Everyday Living @CityNerd | Uploaded August 2022 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Does urbanism exist in the United States? Of course it does -- but if you're like a lot of Americans, you have to visit a theme park, a massive Vegas resort, or your local "lifestyle center" to experience it.
This week we explore all the different types of places Americans flock to that demonstrate a revealed preference for dense, walkable environments: college campuses, compact overseas cities that were developed before the advent of the automobile, fake European plazas ensconced in Las Vegas megaresorts, fake Main Streets embedded in theme parks and "lifestyle centers."
All of these types of places are incredibly popular with Americans, even (or especially) those who live in car-oriented suburban areas with poor walkability. To understand this dynamic, we'll dive into some theory and research that explores the mismatch between the places people seem to enjoy being (and which they pay a handsome sum to visit on vacation), and the places the choose to live.
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Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far.
patreon.com/CityNerd
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Book recommendation! "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments" by the late great David Foster Wallace, available here: amzn.to/3pnBBGM
This is an affiliate link where I make a small commission from your purchase, which helps support this channel. There is no extra cost to you.
Or...buy it at your local independent bookseller. (Or go to a library!)
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Twitter: @nerd4cities
Instagram: @nerd4cities
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Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Urban Parks of North America: youtu.be/biwXO3xcjV4
- The Top 10 Urbanist Ballparks: youtu.be/aXQx1_Zi1BA
- Problems with Pickup Trucks: youtu.be/aIy5uv5-VrE
- Top 10 Public Markets/Mercados in North America: youtu.be/l10sV15O2a4
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Resources:
- Disneyland ticket price history graphic: ocregister.com/2020/02/11/disneyland-raises-prices-on-some-tickets-and-all-annual-passes
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rawls
- https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/
- US city prices per square foot: austin.curbed.com/2018/5/29/17406856/austin-home-cost-median-us
- "Evaluating Household Residential Preferences for Walkability and Accessibility Across Three US Regions" by Dr. Xiang Yan, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Volume 80, March 2020, 102255: researchgate.net/publication/339146778_Evaluating_household_residential_preferences_for_walkability_and_accessibility_across_three_US_regions
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Images
- Suburban Subdivision By H. Michael Miley from Schaumburg, USA - Subdivision, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=104875005
- Disney Main Street USA By Michael Gray from Wantagh NY, USA - Main Street Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36949751
- Central Park Video by CityXcape : pexels.com/video/walking-park-nyc-central-park-4062155
- Golf Video by Tom Fisk: pexels.com/video/drone-footage-of-a-resort-hotel-with-a-golf-course-3285785
- Cruise ship Video by Toni Paul from Pixabay
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Video by Andrea Lattanzi: pexels.com/video/empty-milan-galleria-vittorio-emanuele-ii-coronavirus-4065357
- Main Street USA By Michael Gray from Wantagh NY, USA - Main Street During Day Magic Kingdom Panorama 2009, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36956506
- Declaration of Independence By original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone - numerous, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=621811
- Presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress By John Trumbull - US Capitol, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=180069
- Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy (1940) - The Indian Reporter, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=662340
- 5 over 1 (Austin) By Sk5893 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76821528
- Habitat 67 By Taxiarchos228, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11829063
- Suburban House Photo by Binyamin Mellish: pexels.com/photo/blue-and-gray-concrete-house-with-attic-during-twilight-186077
- Suburban Sprawl By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3781585
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Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
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Inquiries: nerd4cities@gmail.com
Does urbanism exist in the United States? Of course it does -- but if you're like a lot of Americans, you have to visit a theme park, a massive Vegas resort, or your local "lifestyle center" to experience it.
This week we explore all the different types of places Americans flock to that demonstrate a revealed preference for dense, walkable environments: college campuses, compact overseas cities that were developed before the advent of the automobile, fake European plazas ensconced in Las Vegas megaresorts, fake Main Streets embedded in theme parks and "lifestyle centers."
All of these types of places are incredibly popular with Americans, even (or especially) those who live in car-oriented suburban areas with poor walkability. To understand this dynamic, we'll dive into some theory and research that explores the mismatch between the places people seem to enjoy being (and which they pay a handsome sum to visit on vacation), and the places the choose to live.
----------
Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far.
patreon.com/CityNerd
----------
Book recommendation! "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments" by the late great David Foster Wallace, available here: amzn.to/3pnBBGM
This is an affiliate link where I make a small commission from your purchase, which helps support this channel. There is no extra cost to you.
Or...buy it at your local independent bookseller. (Or go to a library!)
----------
Twitter: @nerd4cities
Instagram: @nerd4cities
----------
Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Urban Parks of North America: youtu.be/biwXO3xcjV4
- The Top 10 Urbanist Ballparks: youtu.be/aXQx1_Zi1BA
- Problems with Pickup Trucks: youtu.be/aIy5uv5-VrE
- Top 10 Public Markets/Mercados in North America: youtu.be/l10sV15O2a4
----------
Resources:
- Disneyland ticket price history graphic: ocregister.com/2020/02/11/disneyland-raises-prices-on-some-tickets-and-all-annual-passes
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rawls
- https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/
- US city prices per square foot: austin.curbed.com/2018/5/29/17406856/austin-home-cost-median-us
- "Evaluating Household Residential Preferences for Walkability and Accessibility Across Three US Regions" by Dr. Xiang Yan, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Volume 80, March 2020, 102255: researchgate.net/publication/339146778_Evaluating_household_residential_preferences_for_walkability_and_accessibility_across_three_US_regions
----------
Images
- Suburban Subdivision By H. Michael Miley from Schaumburg, USA - Subdivision, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=104875005
- Disney Main Street USA By Michael Gray from Wantagh NY, USA - Main Street Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36949751
- Central Park Video by CityXcape : pexels.com/video/walking-park-nyc-central-park-4062155
- Golf Video by Tom Fisk: pexels.com/video/drone-footage-of-a-resort-hotel-with-a-golf-course-3285785
- Cruise ship Video by Toni Paul from Pixabay
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Video by Andrea Lattanzi: pexels.com/video/empty-milan-galleria-vittorio-emanuele-ii-coronavirus-4065357
- Main Street USA By Michael Gray from Wantagh NY, USA - Main Street During Day Magic Kingdom Panorama 2009, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36956506
- Declaration of Independence By original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone - numerous, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=621811
- Presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress By John Trumbull - US Capitol, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=180069
- Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy (1940) - The Indian Reporter, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=662340
- 5 over 1 (Austin) By Sk5893 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76821528
- Habitat 67 By Taxiarchos228, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11829063
- Suburban House Photo by Binyamin Mellish: pexels.com/photo/blue-and-gray-concrete-house-with-attic-during-twilight-186077
- Suburban Sprawl By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3781585
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
----------
Inquiries: nerd4cities@gmail.com
