The counterpoint I’ve seen is that non-walkable cities/suburbs serve as “defensive architecture”, for areas where crime is a major concern. The cities listed as “radicalizing” for urban planning are in Japan or Western Europe, where violent crime is rarely a concern, nor is intra-national population movement.
In America, a relatively nice, relatively safe area could be just a few miles away from a dangerous one. The residents of the former will understandably—if inconveniently, for urban planners—object to walkability that makes the barrier between them more diffuse. It can be argued whether these concerns are justified or not, but I think the conditions in which walkable cities arise have to be replicated in order for them to become socio-politically viable in America.
The counterpoint I’ve seen is that non-walkable cities/suburbs serve as “defensive architecture”, for areas where crime is a major concern. The cities listed as “radicalizing” for urban planning are in Japan or Western Europe, where violent crime is rarely a concern, nor is intra-national population movement.
In America, a relatively nice, relatively safe area could be just a few miles away from a dangerous one. The residents of the former will understandably—if inconveniently, for urban planners—object to walkability that makes the barrier between them more diffuse. It can be argued whether these concerns are justified or not, but I think the conditions in which walkable cities arise have to be replicated in order for them to become socio-politically viable in America.