Deseret News | Walkable communities: Utahns taking to the sidewalks

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Walkable communities: Utahns taking to the sidewalks

By Erin Stewart and Doug Smeath
Deseret Morning News

Published: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004 2:31 p.m. MDT

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In Orem, two walkable communities are in the works: one on State Street called Midtown Village, and another near Utah Valley State College called Parkway Crossing. The latter, which is already partially completed, could eventually include a church meeting house, a grocery store and clothing stores. There are already restaurants and hundreds of apartments.

Provo's Riverwoods project is Utah County's oldest, and arguably its most successful, walkable community. About 90 percent of its stores are occupied and two-thirds of the residential space has sold.

City officials in Midvale are also in the process of restructuring zoning laws to build a large walkable community on the former Sharon Steel Superfund site. The development, called Jordan Bluffs, would put 90,000 feet of retail inside a circle of 2,300 condos and single-family homes. The area would also incorporate a church, a school, parks and walking trails.

"If we want to go out as a family at night, we can walk to a restaurant together. We'll keep a self-contained life in the middle of Salt Lake Valley," said developer Ben Magelsen. "It's basically the poster child for walkable green communities."

A delicate balance

As Riverton works to revitalize its downtown area, a guiding goal has been stores fronting main streets with similar architecture. The end product, planners hope, is a place where pedestrians are greeted by friendly storefronts instead of a sea of parking lots.

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But Riverton Planning director Brian Maxfield said the area will not attract people unless it attracts businesses first. "You can't just say, 'Let's have a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker' and expect people to show up," Maxfield said.

Knowlton said city planners need to realize that potential businesses will pragmatically evaluate communities, and so planners need to consider the economic viability of a walkable center.

Boyer Corp., a developer that has been involved in many pedestrian-centered projects in the Salt Lake Valley including The Gateway in Salt Lake City and Sugar House Commons at 2100 South and Highland Drive, believes successful town centers must be tailored to the specific community, said Wade Williams, the company's retail development director.