Pedestrianized Streets Create Important Public Spaces
Pedestrianized streets create attractive public spaces which encourage walking and a sense of community. Jane Jacobs described streets as an important part of our social cohort where she thought it was an intricate ballet or a dance between people on a regular basis. Many cities around the world have adopted to making streets more pedestrian friendly and closing the streets to traffic, so there can be more activities present on the street.
An example of a successful pedestrian street encouraged by Jan Gehl is Stroget in Copenhagen which is a pedestrian car-free shopping area in Denmark. This has created an attractive place for people to engage in and create a sense of community so that people don’t feel isolated in cities. Seeing other people on the street can bring about a sense of community and belonging. Stroget is also one of the largest pedestrianized streets in the world.
Many cities, specifically in Europe, are adopting to this trend such as Leeds City Centre and many others in London including Trafalgar Square. There are also conversations about transforming London’s So-Ho Street to a pedestrian street. The trend is also popular in American cities such…
