Study shows walkable urbanism has positive economic impact

A city's pedestrian-friendliness impacts its economy, according to a report done by Christopher Leinberger and Patrick Lynch of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at George Washington University School of Business.

According to the report, walkable communities have a higher GDP, greater wealth and higher percentages of college grads (see table below). Moreover, there is a “74 premium in rent per square foot in office buildings in walkable areas.”

And the report is not only talking about cities. According to Leinberger, the traditional dichotomy of “walkable urban” and “drivable suburban” is falling out of use. Many urban areas are car-oriented and many suburbs are developing into walker-friendly spaces.

Currently, the top five cities based on the percentage of their "WalkUPs" (walkable urban places) from the total metro area and population are Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Click here to read the whole report and learn more.

Screenshots from Foot Traffic Ahead report
© The George Washington University School of Business 2014

LPA Architects conducted a post-occupancy evaluation, or POE, of the eSTEM Academy, a new high school specializing in health/medical and design/engineering Career Technical Education, in Eastvale, Calif. The POE helped LPA, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Corona-Norco Unified School District gain a better understanding of which design innovations—such as movable walls, flex furniture, collaborative spaces, indoor-outdoor activity areas, and a student union—enhanced the education program, and how well students and teachers used these innovations.

Interior designer Creative License International fashioned this community room for P83, a 250-unit rental community in Peoria, Ariz. 2021 Multifamily Amenities study

Multifamily Housing | Jul 7, 2021

Make sure to get your multifamily amenities mix right

One of the hardest decisions multifamily developers and their design teams have to make is what mix of amenities they’re going to put into each project. A lot of squiggly factors go into that decision: the type of community, the geographic market, local recreation preferences, climate/weather conditions, physical parameters, and of course the budget. The permutations are mind-boggling.

Industrial Facilities | Jul 2, 2021

A new approach to cold storage buildings

Cameron Trefry and Kate Lyle of Ware Malcomb talk about their firm's cold storage building prototype that is serving a market that is rapidly expanding across the supply chain.

A post-pandemic ‘new normal’ for apartments, Grimm + Parker, Building Design+Construction 2021 Exercise area

Multifamily Housing | Jun 30, 2021

A post-pandemic ‘new normal’ for apartment buildings

Grimm + Parker’s vision foresees buildings with rentable offices and refrigerated package storage.

Architects | Jun 30, 2021

Perkins Eastman joins forces with MEIS

MEIS’ work on stadiums and entertainment centers spans the globe with state-of-the-art designs in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Architects | Jun 25, 2021

AIA announces Small Project Award recipients

Now in its 18th year, the AIA Small Project Awards program recognizes small-project practitioners for the high quality of their work.

Work in existing buildings will prevail in 2021

Architects | Jun 24, 2021

Post-pandemic, architects need to advocate harder for project sustainability

An AIA-Oldcastle report looks closer at the coronavirus’s impact on design and construction

Resiliency | Jun 24, 2021

Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]

New on HorizonTV, oceanographer John Englander discusses his latest book, which warns that, regardless of resilience efforts, sea levels will rise by meters in the coming decades. Adaptation, he says, is the key to future building design and construction.