Skip to content

Revisiting Donald Appleyard’s “Livable Streets”

You may have wondered, while watching a Streetfilm or reading a post on Streetsblog, where we got the term “livable streets.”

The answer can be found in the work of Donald Appleyard, a scholar who studied the neighborhood environment and the ways planning and design can make life better for city residents. In 1981, Appleyard published “Livable Streets” based on his research into how people experience streets with different traffic volumes.

Today we’re revisiting Appleyard’s work in the second installment of our series, “Fixing the Great Mistake.” This video explores three studies in “Livable Streets” that measured, for the first time, the effect of traffic on our social interactions and how we perceive our own homes and neighborhoods.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Really Precarious’: Wages Are Up, But Delivery Work Is Still Unsafe and Unpredictable

October 21, 2026

Q&A: Central Park Conservancy Wants More Bike Lanes Around, Through the Park

October 21, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines: Central Park Week Continues

October 21, 2026

What’s Going To Happen To The Land Around Penn Station?

October 20, 2026

Opinion: Two Deaths At One Central Park Crossing, Yet Safety Plan Sits On The Shelf

October 20, 2026
See all posts