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Walk it out: Pedestrian-friendly, car-free zones can promote property values, but the failure of many such districts should be a cautionary tale
- May 1, 2023: Vol. 35, Number 5

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Walk it out: Pedestrian-friendly, car-free zones can promote property values, but the failure of many such districts should be a cautionary tale

by Benjamin Cole

Long before the invention of the internal combustion engine and the motorized vehicle, cities and towns were, of course, car-free. To this day, the results of those early developments are seen in many Old World cities as highly prized by denizens for their livability and charm — with their remaining enchanting enclaves of winding, narrow alleys just wide enough to accommodate foot or hoof.

For decades, modern-era city planners have advocated a return to automobile-free walkways and districts. The success stories of such auto-banning efforts have been many, and the device of motor-vehicle-free zones has broadly entered the toolkits of city planners seeking to revive urban cores and other areas to make the metropolis more beckoning.

The best walking districts often refabricate the winning formula that has attracted residents and visitors to urban zones for millennia: entertainment, food, shopping, rest and relaxation, and old-fashioned people-watching. Cities such as B

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