PEDWAYS VERSUS HIGHWAYS: THE PEDESTRIAN'S RIGHT TO URBAN SPACE
THE DESIGN OF ANCIENT AND MEDIAEVAL CITIES PRESENTS EVIDENCE NOT ONLY OF CAREFUL ATTENTION TO HUMAN SCALE BUT ALSO TO PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND AMENITIES FOR HEIGHT TO STREET WIDTH AND PROVIDED SHELTERED PORTICOS AND WALKWAYS FOR PEDESTRIANS. CITIES TODAY SUFFER NOT PEDESTRIANS. MEDIAEVAL PLANNERS RELATED BUILDING FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN SPACE, ESPECIALLY SIDEWALK AREA, WHEN CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS THAT ARE MANY TIMES HIGHER THAN THOSE THAT EXISTED WHEN THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS WERE LAID. SIDEWALK FURNITURE, MOST OF IT DESIGNED AS AN AID TO VEHICULAR MOVEMENT, USE UP A PORTION OF SUCH SIDEWALK AREA AS THERE IS. OF THE 50,000 AMERICANS WHO DIE EACH YEAR IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS, ONE-SIXTH ARE PEDESTRIANS, AND AN ADDITIONAL 150,000 PEDESTRIANS ARE INJURED ANNUALLY BY MOTOR VEHICLES. TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE GENERALLY SET TO EXPEDITE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, AND INTERSECTIONS WITH HEAVY PEDESTRIAN--VEHICLE CONFLICTS OFTEN HAVE NO SEPARATE PHASE. EVEN LESS ATTENTION IS GIVEN BY URBAN AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF HANDICAPPED PEDESTRIANS. LEONARDO DE VINCI PROPOSED THAT ENTIRE CITIES BE DESIGNED WITH ELEVATED WALKWAYS TO SEPARATE PEDESTRIAN FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. THIS OPINION HAS FOUND SUBSTANCE IN THE DESIGNS OF MANY EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN CITIES, IN EITHER TUNNELS OR ELEVATED STRUCTURES. THE SYSTEMS IN LONDON, TORONTO, AND MONTREAL ARE DESCRIBED. CINCINNATI AND MINNEAPOLIS HAVE EMBARKED ON PROGRAMS FOR AERIAL WALKWAY NETWORKS IN THEIR CBD'S. IN THE LATTER CITY THERE WAS AT FIRST OPPOSITION FROM MERCHANTS THAT FEARED TRAFFIC-FREE ZONES WOULD CRIPPLE THEIR BUSINESSES, BUT THE EIGHT-BLOCK NICOLLET MALL HAS SO STIMULATED BUSINESS THAT SECOND-FLOOR RENTALS ARE NOW AS HIGH AS THOSE ON STREET LEVEL. ELEMENTS OF THE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY SYSTEMS IN THE TWO CITIES ARE DESCRIBED.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Sponsored by Committee on Pedestrians. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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Authors:
- Fruin, John J
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Conference:
- 51st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
- Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
- Date: 1972-1-17 to 1972-1-21
- Publication Date: 1972
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References;
- Pagination: pp 28-36
- Monograph Title: Pedestrian protection
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Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 406
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Crosswalks; Grade separations; Land values; Pedestrian areas; Pedestrian malls; Pedestrians; Persons with disabilities; Retail trade
- Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Society;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00224020
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Feb 23 1973 12:00AM