Today’s walk was through a neighborhood officially called “The Meadows”, located between Loudon and New Circle Road, behind the industrial/ commercial area along Winchester Road.  Much like yesterday’s walk, there was perhaps a bit more stimuli than normal.  Lots of smells (soapy smells, cleansers) and sounds came out of houses, leading me to think this neighborhood has a higher daytime population than most neighborhoods I walk through.  Visually, this neighborhood feels a little distressed, especially on non through streets.  In places sidewalks and even driveways are completely falling apart.  This led me to wonder, who is responsible for sidewalk repairs?  It turns out it is the homeowner.  This was a bit of a disappointment to me, though I can’t say it doesn’t make sense somewhat; I liked the idea of the sidewalk being the city’s responsibility because that would mean that sidewalks on long cul-del-sacs unevenly benefitted the people living there.  The drawback of having it as a homeowner responsibility is that a lightly tread patch of sidewalk is unlikely to be repaired, even if it is providing a benefit to someone down the street.

Sometimes it’s subtle things that make walks interesting.  Today, I walked past a house with a fence that had become warped in an unusual way because of a tree growing next to it, and it was oddly pleasing to me.

What works: Limited (if any) neighborhood design enforcement makes this interesting
What doesn’t: Sidewalks, in some places.  I love them, but I think there may be places here where they don’t provide enough value.