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1130 PDF
1130 PDF
Introduction:
There are different meanings regarding pedestrianisation. The simplest meaning of it is the
removal of vehicular traffic from city streets. For example in Hong Kong, pedestrianisation is
defined by the transport department as “to restrict vehicle access to a street or area for
exclusive use of pedestrians”.
The importance of pedestrianisation in developing countries is increasing continuously because
vehicular access are overcoming in cities more and more, in result the attendance of pedestrian
in urban spaces will become less and less.
About one hundred years ago automobiles should be adapted with urban spaces, but this
process causes to destroy the attendance of pedestrians in city.
In recent century during the urbanization revolutions, the expectations of life, immigration and
the population of cities were increased very much and creating megapolis with a large
population is one of its results. The concentration of a large population in one or several cities
has negative results especially in developing countries such as Iran. Heavy traffic, air pollution,
noise pollution and unsuitable environment for living are some of its results. City of Tehran is an
obvious example of a megapolis especially for elderly and children.
Fortunately against the concentration of population in several cities and creating megapolis, the
system of intermediate cities is also exists in the world that could be a solution for urbanism and
settling the population. Instead of creating megapolis we can create “intermediate cities” that
have limited dimension and small area and at the same time it can be compatible and attractive
for its residents according to services and facilities and situation of urbanization.
With creating this kind of cities because of its limit area instead of creating an unsafe,
unpleasant and dangerous environment we would be enabled to respect pedestrian as a main
user in urban web in urban designing. So we can create a city that has Pedestrianisation and in
result it will has a healthy and safe and compatible with human being characters.
The increasing attendance of automobiles causes creating an unsafe, unpleasant and
dangerous place for residents of that city. Air pollution and sound pollution and accidents all are
the unpleasant results of it. So many countries are thinking about some solutions for it and
Pedestrianisation is an efficient solution for this problem.
- Objectives of Pedestrianisation
There are various reasons for having Pedestrianisation schemes. First of all, pedestrianisation
aims to improve pedestrian’s safety and mobility. Another important benefit is related to the
environment. These schemes can help to reduce both noise and pollution by discouraging or
restricting access of non-essential vehicles. Furthermore it helps to promote walking as a
transport mode by making the walking experience more enjoyable.
The last one means that pedestrianisation creates a pleasant environment that people can
involve in different social, cultural and tourism activities as well. We will also notice that
pedestrianisation can improve the economical growing of that district.
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Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in
developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
1-environmental impacts:
In terms of environmental objectives, pedestrianisation can help to alleviate and reduce air and
noise pollution, as there would be a reduction in the number of cars and reliance on motor
vehicles. Nowadays most of large cities are faced with air and sound pollution that it will make
them unpleasant and dangerous for their residents.
Pedestrianisation can promote walking as a transportation mode without any need to oil, so we
can save fuel as well.
Studies have shown that with pedestrianisation mode using public transportation such as bus
and rail transportation have been increased.
Usually when pedestrianisation is implemented, there can be more space on the streets not only
for pedestrianisation but also present opportunities for planning of additional planting areas and
improving street furniture and landscaping. All these would help to beautify the local street and
create a better environment.
Here is not bad to refer Dr. Salingarous’ idea that protests severely against eliminating
pedestrianisation city by cars.
Dr. Salingarous says that it has been begun since the beginning of modern movement in
architecture and urbanism that emphasized on eliminating and destroying ornaments. This
process first cleaned up elevations from 1 mm to 1 m and then cleaned the urban spaces from 1
meter to 3 meters that include kiosks, benches, arcades, pergolas and short walls and so on. So
these spaces couldn’t be suitable for pedestrians anymore.
Meanwhile the inherent laziness of man caused that he prefers his car to public transportation to
reach his destinations.
Modernists valued the rich man’s imagine of parking in his home too, and its result was
elimination of walkable urban spaces and creating deserts of concrete or asphalt parking
instead of pedestrianisation.
2-economical impacts:
About economical impact we should say that there are a number of impacts with
pedestrianisation. First of all, for most large cities with heavy motor vehicle traffic, every year
both the government and the private sector have to incur large economical losses in term of air
pollution rated costs of lost productivity and medical expenses. With less motor vehicle traffic
and less pollution after pedestrianisation, there can be a reduction in costs incurred.
Physicians have issued various awareness and manifest about air pollution and its danger and
many expenses have been spend to cure the diseases which are related to air pollution. So the
less air pollution causes the less related medical expenses.
The other economical impact of pedestrianisation is on the retail income in that district. The
statistics say that after closing vehicle access in a district the rate of retail turnover usually have
been increased. In addition it has been seen that not only the retailers’ benefits but also the role
of rental income and occupancy rate is increased.
The main reason is that pedestrian can shop and watch shop-windows easier and enjoys
without any fear from vehicles. In some places where have pedestrianisation scheme people will
welcome coffee shops and food retails so much.
The cities where there are pedestrianisation districts often have a pleasure place to attract
tourists. Less pollution, pleasant walking environment plus other amenities like sidewalk cafes,
fountains or other street furniture help the areas to become popular attractions for locals and
tourists.
3- Social impacts:
The implementation of pedestrianisation would have a number of social impacts. First of all it
helps to promote walking as a transport mode. People often do not walk when walking itself
doesn’t include a good experience with heavy motor vehicle traffic and crowded narrow
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Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in
developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
walkways. Actually with today’s urban city life people are walking less than before and rely on
their private cars instead of other public transport. In result many people don’t have enough
physical exercise.
Health specialists suggest that adults should take part in physical activity for 30 minutes a day
for at least 3 times a week. This can be done by walking, as it is a good exercise. Doing so
results in a number of physical benefits, some examples are to prevent overweight, reduce the
risks of heart diseases and strengthen bones.
Pedestrianized streets in many cities also served as cultural and entertainment plazas where
people meet and greet not only during ordinary days but also during holidays and festive
seasons as well. Free of vehicle Traffic Street, in many cases by landscaping, street furniture
and sidewalks, help to create a comfortable environment for people to engage them in various
social activities.
The other social impact of pedestrianisation is that with segregation of people from vehicles, the
safety of pedestrian and transportation abilities can be improved.
Of course owners of private vehicle complain that their rights for entering pedestrianized
districts have forgotten. Indeed in the pedestrianized district with mix functions, the accessibility
of residents, merchants, other people to their homes or works were decreased and actually
there is no justice about these groups.
-Kinds of pedestrianisation:
We can have three kinds of pedestrianisation:
2-England: The pedestrianisation of downtown shopping streets in Britain was begun as early
as 1923. Between the 1930s and the 1960s there were the so called “play streets” in some
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Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in
developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
cities, whereby streets were closed off from propelled vehicles for specific periods during a day
or on certain days such that roads could be used as playground for children. However there
were actually very few cities with pedestrianisation schemes before the end of the 1950’s. The
main reason being that at the time British Law did not allow allocating streets for the use of
pedestrians. Maybe the main reason was that rich people didn’t want to decrease using their
cars.
After 1967 some cities began to have pedestrianisation schemes. Some examples included
Norwich (1967), Reading (1968) and Leeds (1970).
In Norwich, the first city to close its existing downtown streets from motor vehicles saw both
retail sales and pedestrian traffic increased greatly after implementing the scheme.
Retailers at the city’s main shopping street experienced a jump of 5 and 20 % in retail sales in
the first few years.
3- Italy
Many cities in Italy are facing with increasing traffic and related problems such as traffic and air
pollution. As a result some cities such as Milan and Florence intended to allow the only those
residences and merchants that are living there.
The current challenges by environment ministry were affected with presented the health
situation of people in relating with air pollution.
By these challenges many cities in Italy were joined to “the cities without cars” and many cities
were joined to the program of “one day without my car”.
In Rome many squares are closed against the cars.
Of course it doesn’t mean that some areas should be spent for pedestrians, since many years
ago in cities of Italy especially the oldest districts, many of interventions were defined with the
aim of eliminating the traffic all and creating “pedestrian islands”. Beyond all of them the main
reason was the protection of monument and historical centers from decay that are from air
pollution. Thus pedestrian islands are located only in worthy districts in cities.
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Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in
developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
There are some critics in pedestrianisation schemes. First of all with popularity of schemes non
pedestrian districts experienced economical disadvantages because people were attracted to
pedestrian districts. The other problem was that in those districts which are close to pedestrian
area traffic would be increased. Meanwhile increasing pedestrian in an area means higher rent
and property prices. After surveying 11 cities it was revealed that the average of rent has been
increased %50 after pedestrianization. In spite of that some critics the schemes was popular
and was accepted very well. In West Germany there are 1000 pedestrian districts include those
that have traffic calming scheme.
5-Sweden
The pedestrianisation idea was created in mind of Swedish when people worried about the
growing effect of traffic congestion on safety of pedestrian, environment and historical centers.
The success of these designs generally was for helping people to have a place for their
meeting, which is some thing in their traditional culture.
The first Sweden cities that had pedestrian cities in city center were Stockholm, Gothenburg,
Helsingborg and Lund. By the end of 1960, these cities grew to 35 and then this number was
increased to 100 cities.
As they have priority to pedestrianisation schemes and as they use bicycle widely, the
comprehensive schemes looked into the needs of not only pedestrians, but also cyclists as well
as those who drove or took public transport modes.
In these plans they use public transportation modes such as trams and buses widely. The good
relations between bus/tram stations with pedestrian streets can be seen in cities very well.
6-Iran
In Iran pedestrianisation is gradually respecting too. Tehran, the capital of Iran, is a megapolis
that has an urban growth with sprawl. This city always suffers from traffic congestion and its
consequences. The traffic problem and its air and sound pollution which also exist in some
other large cities of Iran are problems that authorities want to solve this problem as soon as
possible.
One of the guidelines for reducing traffic and its pollution is allocating some urban spaces to
pedestrian. Recently is has been approved that two large squares in Tehran “Vanak square”
and “hafte tir square” are allocated to pedestrian and these districts will become a commercial
and cultural complex.
“laleh zar” street would be also a pedestrian street with commercial function and vehicle traffic
will be directed to surrounding streets.
Previously some small streets of Tehran such as “Refahi” streets and “Saf” streets had this
scheme and now authorities are trying to expand these schemes in larger districts.
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Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in
developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008
There are also some spaces for resting and sitting by a good management of furniture and
designing.
Some streets need vehicle access for loading but in some streets its function is in such a way
that if it is allocated to pedestrian and furnished with suitable furniture, it can be regarded as a
recreational – commercial center therefore its efficiency will grow.
Finally it can be said that the core of urban spaces should be pedestrian. We should regard this
aspect in urban design and built some spaces which are more adaptable with humanity.
-Conclusion
As we know, urban growth with sprawl is completely unpleasant and unwanted and the correct
solution is “intermediate cities” to integrate all of the suitable aspects in a city.
As you considered, this article discusses about pedestrianisation and its benefits. In a city with
large growth especially in developing countries, one of the cases that usually are neglected is
pedestrianisation and attendance of citizens in urban spaces.
I hope that with promoting the human’s life we could be able in respecting humans’ needs in
cities as much as possible especially in developing countries.
Author:
Nasim Iranmanesh – urban designer - Iran
References
Kwan Lee Hau (2004). Pedestrianisation Schemes in Hong Kong. university of Hong Kong
A. Salingaros Nikos (2000).Theory of the Urban Web University of Texas
Institute of Urban Planning publication No. 33
A. Salingaros Nikos(2004). PRINCIPLES OF URBAN STRUCTURE. Faculty of Architecture
Delft University of Technology
Jensen Søren Underlien. Pedestrian Safety Analyses and Safety Measures.
Danish Road Directorate Division of Traffic Safety and Environment.Denmark
McDonald Gregory. The Continuum of the Landscape: Promoting a Livable Network Strategy.
York University
A. Kushner James. The Post-Automobile City - Legal Mechanisms to Establish the Pedestrian-
Friendly City. Carolina Academic Press
Ghobadian vahid (2003). Climatic analysis of the traditional Iranian buildings .university of
Tehran press