Pedestrians cross Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Walkable neighborhoods in older suburbs of Los Angeles are seeing increasing development, a new study says. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Despite its long love affair with the car, Los Angeles is on the cusp of becoming a “major” walkable urban area. And doing so could do wonders for its real estate market, at least in spots.

That’s the gist of a new report released Tuesday by SmartGrowth America and George Washington University, which measured the number of walkable urban neighborhoods in 30 big metro areas and looked at the potential to develop more.

Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, respectively, topped the rankings. The L.A. area tied for 16th with the Columbus, Ohio, and Kansas City metro areas. Orlando, Fla., ranked last. 

Although the L.A. area was in the middle of the pack, the prospects for development around new Metro stations and continued revival of suburban downtowns, including Long Beach and Pasadena, will give more Angelenos the chance for a less auto-centric life in the years to come, the report says.

“The future — of a walkable, transit-friendly Los Angeles — is being built right now,” the report says. “It will allow people to drive everywhere they want, assuming they can put up with the traffic, and provide the option of walkable urbanism for those who want it.”.....Continue Reading

> via latimes.com