Blog

Blog

11 Dec, 2023
As an avid champion of cities designed for people not cars, I am revelling in the lack of cars on my neighbourhood streets. As a result of the lockdowns for COVID-19, and the restriction of all non essential travel, there are far fewer trips being made by cars. The streets in my neighbourhood aren’t completely empty and quiet however, in fact they feel more alive than ever. Along the route I take for my daily jog, I usually have to contend with dangerous traffic, polluted air, disturbing noises and very rarely would I see many people along the way. These days though, it’s a far brighter experience. I see lots of people out and about enjoying the outdoors, most ready to flash you a smile – no doubt craving any form of social connection! I see neighbours chatting in front of their houses spilling out onto streets. Around the bay section that I run, people are using the streets lining the footpath in order to maintain the necessary 1.5m distance. All totally possible now without cars ruling the roads. It warms my heart! It reminded me of a festival I attended while on a sabbatical in Bolivia called Dia de Peaton Or Pedestrian Day . It’s held four times a year, in Cochabamba, a city of 1 million people, and for the entire day all cars, motorbikes, buses and taxis are banned from driving in the streets. Instead, the streets are opened up for pedestrians, cyclists and all sorts of fun activities, games and stalls. The government started the event with the aim to raise awareness of the environment and the negative impact of noise and air pollution from cars. I remember it felt quite liberating to be able to walk all over the streets without having to look left and right all the time, or constantly being worried about cars racing past. And it was almost somewhat of a relief to not hear the incessant sound of car horns that usually filled the air. The streets were literally transformed into playgrounds with street performers, dance floors, and pop-up cafes. The streets were packed with people who were making the most of the opportunity to roam free!! It felt like the citizens of Cochabamba were out to celebrate their love for their city. There was a real sense of community about the day. That’s what I am starting to feel here and now in my home town of Sydney. Streets are like the lifeblood of a community, but when cars rule the roads it stops the flow of connection between residents; instead streets end up segregating and isolating people from one another. Our streets have the remarkable capacity to interconnect people with one another. With cars removed, I’ve seen the streets stitch the urban fabric of my neighbourhood back together and reunite the segregated flow of people and nature. Our streets have the remarkable capacity to interconnect people with one another. The radical changes that’ve been enforced upon us, have turned our daily routines on their head. Our old car-dependant habits, which have left us isolated and less healthy, have been replaced by new rituals like catching up with our neighbours and exploring our local streets and public spaces. The forced lockdown has enabled us to discover different ways of being and we’ve experienced the benefits as a result. Once the pandemic is over, lets hope what we’ve learnt encourages us to maintain these new habits and think twice before we reengage in car travel. One city that is going to make that easier for its citizens is Milan . The city has announced that 35km of streets will be reallocated from cars, to pedestrians and cyclists on a trial basis. During the Covid-19 crisis, the city has seen traffic congestion and air pollution drop significantly. In an effort to see this continue, Marco Granelli, a deputy mayor of Milan, said: “we want to reopen the economy, but we think we should do it on a different basis from before.” While it is only on a trial basis over the European summer, there’s proof it can be successful. We can look to the Spanish town of Pontevedra , which is a long-standing example of the positive outcomes that can happen when streets are handed over to people. The town was pedestrianised in 2000 and since then they have seen deaths from traffic accidents drop to zero in 2009, CO2 emissions drop by 70% and small businesses and the economy flourish. Despite the devastating consequences of COVID-19, there have been some curiously positive ones. Let’s hope that when these dark times are over, the positive changes we’ve experienced, result in lasting changes. It's time our streets are reimagined and repurposed to serve people and nature, to reunite and strengthen neighbourhoods everywhere.
Share by: