Walkability is what solidified my choice to move to Little Rock’s River Market District 11 years ago. My family walks everywhere in the neighborhood, so the perceived lack of parking doesn’t resonate with me. But in Little Rock’s SoMa and North Little Rock’s Argenta, I often become one of those people who worry about whether I can snag a spot next to the establishment I am visiting. Right now it is manageable, but as the neighborhood grows and flourishes, parking will be at more of a premium.
The truth is, there are more than enough spots in these neighborhoods. The refrain we hear, “There’s nowhere to park,” really means “there is no free, close-enough parking.”
The idea that we are entitled to free parking is another op-ed for another day, so let’s focus on the perception of how far we have to walk to visit these lovely neighborhoods. What can we do to start moving the needle on that perception of walking distance?
One idea is to try to publicize the equivalent of distances people are willing to walk. For example, in SoMa there is always a parking spot at Walgreens. It’s free, and walking from the parking lot of Walgreens down to Community Bakery and back takes about as many steps as a shopping trip to Midtown Target. If we really reflect on the distances we have been conditioned to walk through big box stores and across vast parking lots, could we readjust how far we are willing to walk to experience a neighborhood?
I have found that this mental adjustment has led me to try parking in all areas of SoMa. While walking from my new parking spots, I come across delightful finds that I never would have discovered otherwise: a pocket park for training poodles, a thrift shop at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, a modern home designed with a complete solar roof and a magical, lovingly tended secret garden. I would argue these sights are far more exciting than the Target parking lot and worth every step.
The River Market and other lovely walkable neighborhoods like SoMa and Argenta will not thrive on the residents within walking distance alone. We need (and welcome) visitors. The need for parking will not go away, but maybe we can slowly start to alter the perception of what constitutes acceptable places to park in the neighborhoods. And perhaps we will all find some gems along the way.
Kate East is an award-winning interior designer and a partner at AMR Architects.
