Florida and Tampa Bay should prioritize more walkable places

There is no doubt that Pinellas County Road is dangerous to pedestrians and requires prompt public safety measures to be implemented. Last year alone, Florida cities dominated the “dangerous design” list of Smart Growth America, eight out of eight of the top 20 spots.

However, it is not sufficient to design it for “safety” alone to address this complex problem. Beyond transportation engineering standards, we need to create walkable public spaces that are comfortable, welcoming and enhance the quality of life for all.

Research shows that walking improves physical health, increases happiness, reduces transportation costs and emissions, and promotes interaction with the environment and each other. However, our Florida cities and public spaces are not designed with pedestrians in mind. We shaped a rocking place developed in the mid-20th century when personal vehicles were popular. Our appeal to cars and their vast possibilities has misled us by creating an environment dominated by vast automobiles rather than a walkable place.

Pinellas County is known for its natural beauty and historic downtown, but the streets were designed for speed. Tamper nodes aren’t surprising. The Petersburg and Clearwater metropolitan area was rated Florida’s second most dangerous area and eighth last year, with 599 pedestrians killed between 2018 and 2022. As the Times recorded in the recent Peril Project, it has increased by nearly 20% over the past five years. In contrast, major urban centers such as New York City and Seattle, Washington, and some smaller cities such as Charleston, South Carolina and Austin, Texas, show that pedestrian lifestyles are possible and comfortable. Even Florida cities like Gainesville, which offer more walkable options that are convenient for University of Florida students and employees, are not without pedestrian risk.

Locals in Gainesville use the minimal pedestrian/bike infrastructure on Florida Highway 26 to navigate high-speed traffic. It is known locally as University Avenue, which Mayor Harvey Ward Jr. described as “the most important path in Gainesville.” While designated by government standards as a “highway,” University Avenue is a neighbourhood street for thousands of local residents living, working and attending school along the spine of this transport. It doesn’t have to be like this. Throughout the United States, cities are implementing street design projects to address community challenges.

Similar to University Avenue, Government Streets in Baton Rouge have been reconsidered to increase pedestrians, cycling and public transport adjacent to Louisiana State University’s campus. Four lanes were reduced to two, driving speeds were slower and there was space for aggressive transport. Two years later, the data has increased tax revenues and increased daily car numbers from new corridor businesses, reducing the average monthly average traffic accident by 50%.

Within the Wharf District, Washington, DC’s Water Street exemplifies the concept of “shared streets,” defined as a road designed for slow travel speeds where pedestrians, cyclists and drivers all share road rights.

A home success, Tampa Riverwalk embraces walking possibilities to revitalize downtown waterfronts, providing access to essentials and attractions for locals and visitors. These locations show that a walkable future is possible, and there are good reasons to work with projects on every project that chips on problematic streets since Florida.

Certainly, converting the built environment is expensive and requires a long period of time. But if we don’t start now, we will continue to feel the negative impact of our community and our health. We must reallocate space and funds for many modes of transportation and share valuable public spaces that we know as streets.

With great care, you can take your time walking around the neighborhood, observing the environment, and noticing a place that is comfortable, welcoming or not hesitated. Streets make up about 30% of the public lands in our city, and these streets allow us to travel and live our daily lives. This land belongs to us, its citizens. We must work with elected officials and city governments to rethink the streets of the state to provide easy walking, multimodal transport, enabling the choice and safety of all Floridians.

Sarah Gamble is an Indigenous Floridian, architect and assistant professor at the University of Florida School of Architecture. Her job focuses on working with community and local governments to design public spheres to enhance resilience and quality of life for all.