15 / Walkable Pockets: Indianapolis, Indiana / with Downtown Indy Inc. CEO Taylor Schaffer

Taylor Schaffer — President and CEO of Downtown Indy Inc. — is in good traffic to share an ongoing story on the proliferation of placemaking, urbanism, walkability, and the potential to live car-free or car-lite in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the first-ever episode of the new good traffic subseries: Walkable Pockets. We'll traverse underrated, often unsuspecting, pockets of the U.S. where one can find walkability at the crossroads of affordability. The usual suspects for walkable community are often either too pricey, too far, or too impractical for many folks to move or travel to. This series will bring walkable neighborhoods (or, pockets), and the potential of a less car-dependent lifestyle closer to home, and within budget. We discuss: 00:31 A background on the current state of urbanism in Indianapolis. 01:34 Indianapolis' walkability and sense of place. 02:29 Exploring Monument Circle and its placemaking transformation into car-free, activated space. 04:21 The role of events and community engagement in urban planning. 12:21 Data collection and analysis in placemaking and urban design. 13:26 The cruciality of active management in public spaces. 26:13 The trajectory of downtown Indianapolis. 35:05 Living in downtown Indianapolis, and the potential to live car-free or car-lite both practically and affordably. 36:40 Indianapolis' Cultural Trail and active transportation infrastructure. 40:33 Current and future development projects, ongoing. Further context: Find all discussed projects and progress here (via Downtown Indy, Inc.). Downtown Indy, Inc. Connecting with me, Brad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.