To make our roads & pavements safer is something a long time due. Considering we aren’t by nature mad drivers (like Neapolitans – don’t drive there if you have a dodgy ticker, you’ll have a heart attack), yet we have a very high rate of car accidents, often involving pedestrians. We all know about ’20’s plenty’, but it doesn’t go far enough. There are wonderful ideas around the world, let’s take a look.
Handbook for an Urban Revolution is the story of how one woman transformed the streets of New York City, to make them safe for pedestrians and cyclists. This is a real good story, her life story should be made into a film. A real ‘up against the giants’ story, but she won, and now cities worldwide emulate what she did.
Building the Cycling City is a book by an American couple, who have visited often The Netherlands, to learn why they are the world’s most cycling-friendly city. It wasn’t always that way, in fact it was a conscious effort to take back Amsterdam from traffic. Again, this book looks at what they do, and how to learn from the most cycling-friendly nation.
Urban Playground is written by a UK author, and looks at how child-friendly design can save cities. Why aren’t town planners and councillors looking at what’s best for young people – walking to school, walking home from school, walking safely to the shops? Why is planning always centred around the car, supermarket drives and motorways?
