My hometown is Gig harbor, WA. It is a town of about 12,000 people, located on the Puget Sound. It was originally founded as a fishing village. Today it has become a very modern port town with a bustling city center lined with shops, restaurants, and other tourist-minded activities. It is very pedestrian oriented, although I would still consider it an automobile suburb. The streets of downtown are sidewalk lined and parking is minimal to encourage people to take the bus, bike, or walk. Directly across the Puget Sound is Tacoma. Tacoma is a major port to the Northwest. Buses run in 15 minute intervals to the transfer station in Tacoma for commuters. Growing up in Gig Harbor was a great experience. The town was large enough to offer plenty to do, while small enough that people engaged each other and took advantage of the outdoors.
Gig Harbor is much like Copenhagen. Each city has a vibrous city center where people can shop, dine, and get together. Each city encourages people to use modes of transportation other than cars. Although the weather can be wet in Gig Harbor due to its semi coastal nature, people prefer to walk, bike, or take public transit to get around town. One thing I would like to see more of are people walking and biking. It has been slow to gain traction as the primary source of transportation. Small shops and restaurants are beginning to offer discounts to those who walk and bike as a way to encourage people to leave the cars at home and keep the streets clear and pedestrian friendly.
The next comparison to Gig Harbor would be Beacon Hill in Boston. Beacon Hill is much more pedestrian oriented. To reduce the car congestion in Gig Harbor to that of Beacon Hill would be difficult. In Gig Harbor, housing is spaced apart like most suburbs. The streets are car friendly and most people use them often due to the amount of rainy days that are seen. In the spring and summer however, people are more likely to walk due to the close proximity of everything.
