Walkable and drivable development

These two revealing photos show "walkable urban" and "drivable suburban" development near downtown Cincinnati, from a recent report called Catalytic Development: (Re)creating walkable urban places. Amazingly, these photos are taken from a similar distance above the ground. The photo on the left illustrates the value and beauty of development built for a walking speed, compared to the sparse and cold development built for a driving speed of about 40 mph, at right. At left is Over-the-Rhine, which has helped to bring the city back economically. At right is the football stadium, parking, and elevated automobile-oriented thoroughfares that create far less value, while requiring large ongoing maintenance.