Seize The Moment To Take Streets Back From Cars
It will never be easier than it is right now.
“For cities to return to the pre-pandemic status quo would be a historic blunder,” Janette Sadik-Khan wrote last month in The Atlantic. “Last year’s innovations provided a road map — no pun intended — for undoing the planning sins of the 20th century.”
I wrote a couple of weeks ago on my personal website about my conviction that one of the most important things city builders can do today is aim to take space from cars and give it to people.
My hope as we slowly emerge from the pandemic is that we’re beginning to learn just how much better open streets are for people and quality of life, and how much more efficient they are in using space in ways that are actually productive for local businesses and local tax bases.
We can have streets closed to vehicular traffic so that people can walk, bike, jog, play, and congregate. We can take over redundant roads with pop-up retail. We can utilize parking spaces for outdoor dining, DORAs, and seating. We have seen the benefits of taking space…
