Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America’s Most Overlooked Resource

Sidewalks “link nearly every other pressing issue of local and even national law and policy,” from commerce and public transportation to free speech and policing to homelessness and disability rights, argues land use and property law expert Pollack in his astute debut. “The less usable a neighborhood’s sidewalks are, the less welcoming a place is to live, the less healthy a community it is, and the less robust its economy is,” Pollack finds, yet North American communities on average spend only 1% of their infrastructure budgets on sidewalks. Pollack makes a strong case for public investment in sidewalk construction and maintenance. First, he takes a tour of sidewalks across the country to explore their varied uses and common challenges: New York City’s 12,000 miles of sidewalks are some of the busiest and most dynamic multiuse public spaces in the country, Houston’s tightly controlled public infrastructure spending and centering of car culture has curbed its walkability, New Orleans faces unique challenges due to the city’s historical preservation needs and busy tourist schedule, and grassroots engagement has bolstered sidewalk investment in towns across nature-loving Colorado. Pollack concludes with policy recommendations, including replacing patchworks of legislative and regulatory oversight with municipal Departments of Sidewalks, and removing the burden of sidewalk clearing and maintenance from homeowners and businesses. This sweeping but commonsense treatise is sure to delight policy wonks. (June)