Walkable and safe city
Recently a long-time Birmingham resident asked me a troubling question: "Can we call ourselves a walkable city if we're not a safe city?"
Everything we love about Birmingham is grounded in the perception and reality of public and personal safety. Unfortunately, threats to those promises have been building and largely ignored for years.
The creep of commercialization into our residential neighborhoods through short-term rentals (STR) and unchecked efforts to turn our downtown into a regional entertainment destination are overwhelming our public safety resources and changing the character of our community.
Frightening incidents in recent months have made it impossible for even the most unapologetic champions of commercialization to dismiss the need for action.
A peaceful neighborhood awakened on a weekend morning by bullets flying from an STR, neighbors blocked from getting their cars out of their driveways by twerking pool-partygoers hosted by an STR owner, and a violent brawl spilling out onto downtown streets after midnight have grabbed the attention of Birmingham residents and national news media.
Not getting headlines, but just as alarming, are the stories I've been hearing from Birmingham residents who feel intimidated by groups of loitering young people blocking sidewalks downtown and homeowners who no longer feel safe walking their dogs at night.
Our walkable city claim is getting harder to defend.
Kudos to Birmingham Police Chief Ryan Kearney for recently releasing a public statement in response to the "disturbance that occurred in the area of Willits and Bates outside Sidecar Slider Bar during the early morning hours of Aug. 9, 2026."
In his message he promises action: "Birmingham Police Department will be further increasing vehicle, bicycle and foot patrols throughout the downtown area. Residents and visitors can expect a highly visible police presence as we continue to work to deter disorder, respond quickly to calls for service and maintain a safe environment for everyone. The Birmingham Fire Department will also conduct additional periodic unscheduled occupancy inspections of downtown businesses to ensure capacity limits are not exceeded."
That's welcome news. But correcting what's being captured in viral videos requires a lot more than increased police and fire department resources and vigilance.
Consideration must be given to adjusting permissible hours of operation for restaurants and bars, taking a hard look at the real impact of our city's special events, and assessing the unintended consequences of zoning "updates" that encourage added density and commercialization.
Most important of all, when our six-month moratorium on new STRs runs out this fall, we must prohibit all residential rental contracts shorter than 30 days.
Meaningful response will also require funding. Who should pay for the added expense? Currently, the price tag for policing a 21,000-population city that swells well beyond that on weekends falls disproportionately on our homeowners. Downtown retailers, restaurants, hotels and businesses pick up only about 20 percent of the tab.
We need to reexamine that equation.
While I believe there is a sense of urgency right now among city commissioners and city staff, sustained attention requires robust citizen participation. Make your voices heard at commission meetings, share your experiences and give your ideas for positive change. Insist on concrete, comprehensive, measurable plans. Hold commissioners accountable. Only then will we be able to recapture the level of safety that attracted us to this wonderful community.
Let's not wait for another frightening incident to make sure Birmingham is both walkable and safe.
Brad Host
Birmingham
(Brad Host is a Birmingham City Commissioner)
