Salt Lake City, UT

From July 29 to August 2, 2024, I attended a Summer Institute in Salt Lake City, UT. SLC, as it is also named, rhymes with mountains, the Winter Olympics, and in pop/folklore culture, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). I was eager to see if those two hold true. At the information desk at the airport, I, however, had a first encounter with what would mostly shape my short experience: the city/airport staff did not have the correct information regarding public transportation to connect me to the place I was going to stay nor that place hadn’t it either when we called them. That encounter set the tone for both the writing of this piece and the transportation nerd that I like to call myself to analyze this new city through a public transportation lens. Based on the four indicators to measure the CEI (City Excellence Index) for SLC, I will rate these factors out of 100 points total as it follows

Walkability (General Theory of Walkability by Jeff Speck)

1. Useful - Most aspects of daily life close at hand and well-organized.
   1. Mobility
   2. Zoning
2. Safe - Streets that are designed to be safe and also feel safe to pedestrians.
   1. Streets
3. Comfortable – City streets as outdoor living rooms.
   1. Public space
4. Interesting - Sidewalks lined by unique buildings with friendly faces.
   1. Architecture

The walkability indicator relies on the four components of the General Theory of Walkability, introduced in Walkable City by Jeff Speck.

1. Is it useful?

Mobility

The light rail transit system is very affordable compared to New York City: a day pass costs $5. The bus I took to downtown to see the Capitol runs approximately every 30 minutes. I frequently visited the University of Utah which is well-deserved in terms of public transit with both the light rail and buses. Although I was located at University Park, a few blocks away from the University, the public transit towards that location is less common and less frequent. For instance, my travel accommodation was near the Natural History Museum and the gorgeous Red Butte Garden which offer low entry fees for University students but are not accessible by public transit.

Instead of visiting the Capitol, I decided to buy a set of salt at the Utah Visitor Center across from the Capitol Building. Yes! Salt for the namesake Salt Lake (City) which was such a nice place to be.

Although there is a bike-sharing non-profit in the city, there were no stations in the bigger University of Utah neighborhood where I was staying. Most of the stations are located downtown.

Zoning

The heart of downtown SLC is office buildings oriented and I was able to wander aimlessly through the City Creek shopping center reachable by public transportation. The Ballpark neighborhood, south of downtown, tends to be more mixed-used with its vibrant commercial life. I went to a restaurant there and I believe that the Ballpark Light Rail Station through city planning will help to add more mixed-use buildings to that part of the city.

2. Is it safe?

Salt Lake Temple is the epicenter of the grid structure of the streets and I was located East of it. If downtown seems to be safer for pedestrians, unfortunately, I found that the neighborhood I was staying in was not walkable at all. It encourages the U.S. car-centric system. The sidewalks were quasi inexistent which makes it unsafe to cross the streets. If you wanted to take the bus for instance instead of driving to go downtown, you either have to walk on the street or on the grass, none of it feels safer for pedestrians. Moreover, the bus stops were often in the middle of a block without safe access in that neighborhood.

While downtown is safer in terms of mobility thanks to clear directions for main tourist attractions, easy-to-navigate grid, and accessible public transit, the farther you go from downtown, the more difficult it is to use public transit.

3. Is it comfortable?

Public Space

I got off the bus on State Street and North Temple Street and walked up the hill to the State Capitol building. It was very hot and dry and 2 minutes later it was agreeably refreshing to bump into City Creek Park, a scenic park with a bridge and paths. Surprisingly, there were not as many people walking their dogs around as you would expect when you are in a park. The following day, a member of the group I was with drove me through downtown as we were heading to the Canyon. I spotted a few parks and even a farmer’s market. Parks might be one of the first public spaces that come to mind when discovering cities but since I arrived in the U.S., a particular public space of urban life that I have come to enjoy is community gardens. According to research in this article by Greenleaf Communities, they can be a beneficial addition to many communities by “increasing the availability of nutritious foods, strengthening community ties, reducing environmental hazards, reducing food miles and creating a more sustainable system.” I was fortunate to tour one of the amazing University of Utah's Edible Campus Gardens, the Nuh Eevaat Garden. This garden has all the qualities of a community garden: the veggies, a circled gathering space, tables to picnic, and tree fruits which were surprising (and shady)! Fun fact, we helped ourselves with free seed from the Little Free Seed Library.

4. Is it interesting?

Architecture

Except for Temple Square downtown and its iconic Latter-Day-Saint Temple, I can’t remember a special building that was interesting from an architectural standpoint. What is interesting though, is how wherever you are in the city, you are surrounded by stunning mountains regardless of the height of the buildings. It provides a sense of natural enclosure as if you are embraced by the mountains. I don’t think I could ever be tired of that gorgeous view.

Total Score: 75 / 100 points

Written By Sylvie Guezeon

Last Edited: November 20th, 2024