Replacing 'mobility' with 'walkability'

New Haven architect Robert Orr looked into the idea of removing the word “mobility” from New Haven municipal standards and inserting “walkability.” He hoped this might redefine the functions that the city’s streets should serve. But Peter Swift, a new urban transportation consultant in Longmont, Colorado, advised Orr that the city would have to change the design standards themselves, not just adopt the word “walkability,” in order to avoid potential legal liability. Swift said walkability advocates have the choice of proposing either a mandatory code, which always applies, or a discretionary code, which can be adopted on a case-by-case basis. “It is easier to have a parallel code because it can be written independently from the existing one,” Swift explained. “It should also have language that supersedes the existing code if conflicts are discovered. The code must specify where these standards apply. A map showing this would be needed.”u