Talking to audiences across the United States, I am always surprised to hear that—no matter where I am—their city’s weather makes it somehow less capable of supporting pedestrian life than the rest of planet Earth. Never mind the crowds of happy visitors who flock to New Orleans in the summer, Quebec City in the winter, Seattle in the rain, and Chicago in the wind … “people won’t walk here because it’s just too hot/cold/wet/blustery!” There is no doubt that climate exerts some influence on walking, but the evidence suggests that this factor is not half as impactful as street design.
