Most Torontonians commute to get to their jobs every morning. In fact Toronto has one of the largest on average commutes in North America, ranking at a dismal 4th, only behind Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many of us would love to walk to work and save the time and money involved in a commute.
When we build condos nowadays, we’re always looking for something that is in close proximity to shops, schools, and work. Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture have proposed a 1.3 square kilometre town in China called the “Great City.” The plan? To have a carless city where everything is in walking distance! It will be completely sustainable and affordable, according to The Atlantic Cities analysis: “The master plan, which has been planned for 80,000 people, will be built around a massive transit hub at its center, with all destinations to be within a few minutes walk, a planning innovation that would make “Great City” China’s first pedestrian-only city.”
The city would have several zones: 60% for construction, 25% for walkways, and 15% for parks and green spaces. It’s estimated the city would use 48% less energy, 58% less water, 89% less landfill waste, and 60% less carbon dioxide than a city of comparable size. The average walk time to anywhere? 15 minutes.
A full article on this plan can be found here:
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/housing/2012/10/city-where-everything-15-minute-walk-away/3715/
Do you think this could be the future for city growth?
