10 Principles for Successful Cities - Jan Gehl

First, I must apologize for my relatively long hiatus. The World Cup, work, wedding planning, and so on has put a lot of my reading/writing on the back burner. Yet, I still hope to maintain MVB going forward, despite the crazy next couple of months...

 Chicago moving in the right direction. Credit

Here is a very succinct list from Jan Gehl (and Walter Hook) of ways to create more livable, sustainable cities -- summarized from a new report by the ITDP,

I hope that, regardless of what happens with the new Victoria Core Area Plan, these principles will not get lost in the fray. Meanwhile, I would love to see Saanich and the other municipalities making some concerted efforts to BETTER Victoria, rather than maintaining its current beautiful yet lacklustre status quo.

See what you think:

1. Walk the walk: Create great pedestrian environments.
   
2. Powered by people: Create a great environment for bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles.
   
3. Get on the bus: Provide great, cost-effective public transport.
   
4. Cruise control: Provide access for clean passenger vehicles at safe speeds and in significantly reduced numbers.
   
5. Deliver the goods: Service the city in the cleanest and safest manner.
   
6. Mix it up: Mix people and activities, buildings and spaces.
   
7. Fill it in: Build dense, people and transit oriented urban districts that are desirable.
   
8. Get real: Preserve and enhance the local, natural, cultural, social and historical assets.
   
9. Connect the blocks: Make walking trips more direct, interesting and productive with small-size, permeable buildings and blocks.
   
10. Make it last: Build for the long term. Sustainable cities bridge generations. They are memorable, malleable, built from quality materials, and well maintained.

I would say that Victoria is doing fairly well on number 5 and 9 and very good on 8. Beyond that, there is work to do!