Public nature makes for a city that gives its people a sense of identity. Visible life on display satisfies innate curiosities. A century ago, city planning was done by automobiles, but that approach is being called into question. This approach results in the absence of pedestrians in our urban spaces. The pedestrianisation of a street can create attractive public spaces which encourage walking and foster a sense of community. Crowds on the sidewalk mean eyes on the street. People tend to feel safe around more people. One feels a sense of belonging and connection to something bigger. Experiencing the spontaneity of city life and its associated mysteries keeps the city’s flavour alive. Overdetermination of that perception can lead to disastrous effects on the human psyche. Architecture should ideally be an addition and not a substitution to the local’s culture and ‘nature.’
Objectives of pedestrianisation
Pedestrianization has a myriad of benefits for the citizens. It does wonders to improve safety and increases mobility. It also benefits the environment by curbing down on the pollution of air and unwanted noise. Walking is promoted as a means of transportation, making the experience enjoyable. This enables the citizens to be involved in various social, cultural, and tourism activities. Economic growth is an added advantage.
Environmental Impact
Reducing cars and other motor vehicles alleviates air and noise pollution in cities. Today’s cities face unpleasant and dangerous pollution levels, making everyday life distressing for people. Promoting walking would reduce the need for oil and save fuel. Studies have shown that pedestrianisation also increases the use of public transport, such as buses or rail. In addition, it increases space on the streets for additional opportunities, such as street furniture and landscaping. These techniques can beautify the locale, creating a more inviting atmosphere.
Economic Impact
In most large cities, government and private sectors incur heavy economic losses in terms of air pollution-related illnesses and overall loss of productivity. With a decrease in motor traffic, these costs would drastically reduce.
The retail income would benefit significantly from walkability. Statistics show that by blocking vehicular access in a district, the rate of retail turnover has drastically increased. In addition, rental income and occupancy rates also go up. The leading cause is that people can shop and gaze at shop windows without worrying about vehicles in their immediate vicinity. These planning schemes also result in more coffee shops and food retail stores for the people walking around. These factors create a pleasant environment, attracting more tourists. Furthermore, reducing pollution levels, a friendly walking environment, and amenities like sidewalk cafes, fountains, and street furniture can make the area a popular attraction.
Social impact
Pedestrianisation, if implemented, will promote walking as a mode of transport. People prefer to avoid walking when heavy traffic is on busy narrow roads. The trend of walking is shifting to using private modes of transport instead of public transportation. A lot of people need more physical exercise. Physical activity for 30 minutes a day at least four times a week is recommended for good health. Walking is an excellent physical exercise, and it helps reduce weight, risk of heart disease, and bone strength.
The pedestrianisation of streets will help create cultural and entertainment hubs where people meet and greet. Holiday activities can be planned as well. Landscaping sidewalks free from traffic for various social activities will help develop a comfortable environment. However, that would impinge on the rights of private vehicles to gain access to pedestrianised districts.
Types of pedestrianisation
In the Full-time pedestrianised Street design, there would be no access to vehicles except from the back of the street or in emergencies. For a Part-time pedestrianised Street, vehicular access would be allowed during specific periods with loading bays. In the case of a Traffic Calming Street Pedestrianization design, the vehicle dominance and speed would be reduced. There would be no vehicle cutback, but footpaths would be widened with fewer parking spaces. In addition, speed tables, narrow traffic lanes, and road texture usage would help slow down the speed and remind drivers that they are within calming traffic zones.
Case Study- Italy
Many cities in Italy face increasing traffic and related problems such as traffic and air pollution. The environmental ministry’s current challenges were affected by presenting people’s health situation about air pollution. By these challenges, many cities in Italy joined “the cities without cars,” and many cities joined the program “one day without my car.” For example, in Rome, many squares are closed against the cars. The City of Milan established the Piazze Aperte (Open Plazas) programme in 2018 to accelerate the creation of public spaces after the Milan 2030 Master Plan and Neighbourhoods Plan identified an immediate need for more, better-quality public spaces.
Many years ago, in cities of Italy, especially the oldest districts, many interventions were defined to eliminate the traffic and create “pedestrian islands.” But, beyond all of them, the main reason was the protection of monuments and historical centres from decay due to air pollution. Thus, pedestrian islands are located in certain districts in cities.
Refernces:
C40 Knowledge Community. Available at: https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/15-minute-cities-How-to-develop-people-centred-streets-and-mobility?language=en_US
Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
