How better sidewalks make better communities

A better way to learn languages + ranking ‘Mission:Impossible’ movies (Issue #338)  
  
## How better sidewalks make better communities

#### A better way to learn languages + ranking ‘Mission:Impossible’ movies (Issue #338)

By The Medium Blog ∙ May 23, 2025 ∙ 3 min read ∙ View on MediumWe’ve dedicated a few past issues to the decline of “third places,” which are venues for socializing that are not work or home. Think public libraries, parks, recreation centers — spaces that do not have a cost barrier and bring together people from different backgrounds.I hadn’t thought of _sidewalks_ as third places until I read this interview about how public behavior on sidewalks is changing with Dr. Arianna Salazar-Miranda, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Data Science at the Yale School of the Environment. She led a study that looked at sidewalk activity in a few major U.S. cities over the span of 30 years (from 1980–2010). Some fascinating findings:

  * Pedestrians walked faster over time by an average of about 15%
  * The time that people spent lingering in these public spaces had declined by half
  * The percentage of pedestrians walking alone remained relatively stable (it increased only 1%)
  * However, “group encounters” declined (meaning fewer people interacted with each other in public)

When metrics related to public interactivity decline, it can act as a warning signal. The benefits of diverse and active communities are extensive, yielding innovations and inventions that increase social capital and cohesion (_cue Jane Jacobs_). But these behavioral declines mean fewer people are getting those benefits, which could even be achieved on those humble sidewalks. Salazar-Miranda explains:_If we shift public spaces away from being places of encounter and towards being thoroughfares, it could potentially hinder the ability of cities to create economic opportunity._ Her research offers concrete examples of how thoughtful planning can maximize sidewalks’ social potential:

  * Although the “15-minute city” planning concept is popular (which aims for residents to be able to walk to all their essential needs in that span of time), it may actually **_increase_** segregation in low income neighborhoods. To counter this, she highlighted the success of creating “bridging neighborhoods” **_between_** socioeconomically segregated areas. “For example, when amenities like plazas, shopping centers and boardwalks are located in strategic places that bridge low-income and high-income neighborhoods, there is reduced segregation.”
  * Another popular idea is Slow Zones, which are areas where car traffic is limited and streets reclaimed by pedestrians. Although some are skeptical of their usefulness, Salazar-Miranda’s study revealed some data-driven benefits: “We used Twitter (X) data to understand how many people come to Slow Zones, and how long they were staying. Despite the backlash, we found that Slow Zones double foot traffic and attract people from a wider range of neighborhoods into one particular place.”

I don’t think I’ll look at the sidewalks of my neighborhood in the same way after this.— Carly Rose Gillis

### Other stories for your Friday

  * Trying to learn a language? Here are 20 science-backed approaches from a linguist and language teacher. (Viktoria Verde, PhD)
  * How one family took simple steps to reduce their carbon footprint — I’ve seen hundreds of versions of this topic, but this story, from a former Microsoft engineer, is practical and walks through the process that worked for one family. (Anand Cousins, Ph.D.)
  * _Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning_ is out in theaters today, so here’s a ranking of all the M:I films from Fanfare. Does your favorite get the #1 spot? (Simon Dillon)



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