South Jordan Towne Center, at 10400 South and Redwood Road, is the only development already built, though new businesses continue to be added to the site. It will ultimately include a library, city hall, an ice-skating rink, and outdoor shops and restaurants.

"South Jordan has always espoused a quality of life; we build places worthy of our affection," city manager Rick Horst said. "It goes back to olden days when you could walk out and see neighbors on front porches instead of getting into a car and driving to a big parking lot and being impersonal. It goes back to a day gone by."

On a much larger scale, the city and Kennecott Land are planning Daybreak, a community at 11400 South and 4500 West with more than 13,000 homes, 1,250 acres of parks, a recreational lake, town centers, schools, churches and mass transit.

Horst said along with creating a community feel, walkable developments also help save gas, reduce congestion and cut back on pollution. The sidewalk-facing storefronts also serve as informal surveillance, he added.

"When people interact like this in this kind of environment we find there's less incidence of crime and graffiti and things like that — everything's visible," he said. "We find that the overall quality of life is improved."

Laying the groundwork

Before communities can embark on creating walkable town centers, city planners must decide exactly what atmosphere they want and what zoning they need to create that feel — often a long and intense process.

Just ask Salt Lake Planning Director Doug Dansie, who has been working for years to pass zoning laws for a walkable community ordinance.

The code change would encourage developers to create more pedestrian-friendly enclaves throughout Salt Lake. Much like the walkable clusters at 9th and 9th and Sugar House Commons that have wide sidewalks lined with small shops, Dansie said he wants to see developers think beyond the typical strip mall design.

"It does require some more creative design work than just a slab of concrete and a strip of stores," he said. "But you end up with a better product."

The main obstacle, however, is that Salt Lake zoning has historically steered developers to large strip malls, he said. For example, city codes mandate a store be set back at least 15 feet from the sidewalk. Such zoning, Dansie points out, eliminates the sidewalk-front businesses of walkable communities.

"We need to change the zoning to help developers respond to what people like and want. There comes a time when a city has to mature a bit," he said. "We're trying to make it easier for the Sugar House Commons of the world."

In Utah County, there are currently four walkable communities either planned, under construction or completed.