Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
StreetFilms

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.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Metro To Open D Line Subway Extension By March 2026

The 4-mile Metro D Line Extension Section 1 will extend from Wilshire/Western in Koreatown to La Cienega/Wilshire in Beverly Hills

October 15, 2025

This Week In Livable Streets

Metro board committee meetings, 710 Freeway, East SFV rail, and more

October 13, 2025

CicLAvia Turns 15, Enlivens the Heart of L.A. – Open Thread

Tens of thousands of people participated in another great CicLAvia event yesterday - through Boyle Heights, Chinatown, MacArthur Park, Little Tokyo, and Downtown L.A.

October 13, 2025
See all posts