The common thread in communities that are now drawing the entrepreneurial, 25-40-year-olds, says University of Michigan architecture and urban design professor Christopher B. Leinberger, is walkable urbanism. “From an urban planning point of view it means a place where, within a quarter-mile to a half-mile radius, you can get pretty much everything you need and maybe even walk to work,” said Leinberger.
For myself, I chose to live in Pilsen on 18th St. because it is 1.0 miles away from most campus classrooms and only 0.7 miles away from my work. My housing is not central to these locations, but south of each – still an awesome place to be situated.What would happen if my work changed and I was further than 0.7 miles? Thankfully, I’m very adept at bicycling throughout the city and would not be hindered by increased distance. I would also consider moving to a new apartment.UPDATE: A similar urban planning topic is “constant travel budget hypothesis” which states that a person will either change their transportation mode or travel distance to maintain consistent travel costs.Â