Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. says that walkability will be one of the factors considered when determining whether to sell or lease public rights-of-way.

Dohoney provided a report to City Council on a March motion from councilmembers Roxanne Qualls and Chris Bortz that asked that all public rights-of-way, including alleys, be preserved and that all contracts contain a reverter clause allowing the City to regain ownership if needed.

"Walkability measures the pedestrian-friendliness of a neighborhood," Dohoney wrote. "Two main components in creating walkable communities are accessibility - the ability to reach desired destinations such as goods, services, and activities - and safety."

Dohoney says that creating a walkable urban environment increases the sense of community, reduces crime by putting eyes on the street, increases property values, and creates opportunities for social interaction, economic development, and good health.

According the the Cincinnati Municipal Code, public rights-of-way may only be sold or leased only if it isn't needed for municipal purposes.

Dohoney advises that the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering and Department of City Planning should look at a sale's impact on walkability during its coordinated report process, which determines if a property is needed for municipal purposes.

"If any department determines that the sale of rights-of-way, including alleys, would negatively impact a neighborhoods' walkability, a reverter clause should be included with the sale of property that would allow the City to regain ownership if needed," he said.

Six ordinances allowing the sale of public alleys have been passed by council in the last two years.

Photo credit: "Alleys are life, embodied" by user

Previous reading on BC:
Qualls, Bortz want public rights-of-way preserved (4/30/08)