Community Corner

Thursday: 'Walkable City' Author, Jeff Speck, At Somerville Theatre

Speck's book deals with urban design, parking, Main Street business, trees and what makes a good city. Some of his ideas could impact Somerville.

Jeff Speck, former design director at the National Endowment for the Arts, who's currently serving as a consultant on the "Somerville by Design" initiative, is speaking at Somerville Theatre Thursday night.

Speck will discuss his latest book, "Walkable City:  How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time."

The book discusses why "walkable" cities are better and more economically resilient than driving cities, and it prescribes ways to make cities more walkable.

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As The Christian Science Monitor wrote about Speck, "He takes his reader on a stroll down Main Street, slaughtering the sacred cows of city planners and traffic engineers as he goes."

If you're interested in issues about parking policy, local business, public transportation, property values, urban design and bicycling, among other things, you may enjoy the talk.

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What's more, since Somerville has hired Speck as a consultant to help plan for the Green Line Extension and the futures of Magoun, Ball and Gilman squares, his ideas may have real-world ramifications here in Somerville.

You can read more about "Somerville by Design" here:

The talk is at 6:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre. It's free and open to the public.


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