Article about plans for sidewalks in Fort Worth, leading to be better urban environment?
http://www.star-tele...worth-aims.html
In general, sidewalks are a good thing for neighborhoods and for cities. All too often, though they are an afterthought when streets go in. In urban areas sidewalks are needed at curb and 6 feet wide, in more spread-out residential areas they are really only needed on one side of the street. Too much paving is a bad thing for any area, and sidewalks are paving. The main thing about sidewalks is that they really need to lead to somewhere. Sidewalks that are only put in along one segment of a street and don't connect with amenities that people could walk to (stores, schools, commuter stops, employment areas…) are not going to be used, and end up being a waste of scarce public money. Allowing non-thinking residents to plant trees between the curb and the street is stupid, one warning should be issued before city crews pull them up; no use in allowing willful destruction of a public amenity. Allowing people to park on sidewalks is related; the sidewalk loses its usefulness when people can't walk there. Cities need to include sidewalks in their comprehensive transportation plan, with aspects such as width, placement, and connectivity as part of the plan. Code enforcement needs to be more proactive about blockage of sidewalks by residents and property owners who leave vehicles and unkempt foliage making the sidewalks unusable.