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Urban planners and local authorities must improve the suitability of cities for pedestrians to address health problems and social inequality, scientists said yesterday, Thursday, as the coronavirus pandemic emphasized the importance of allowing pedestrians to move. . easily and safely in the city.
Paris, London, Bogotá and Hong Kong are among the world’s most pedestrian-friendly cities, according to a new study of nearly 1,000 cities at the Institute for Transportation Policy and Development, a nonprofit organization. which is based in New York.
Improving the suitability of cities for pedestrians is especially important today, as public safety concerns have led to a rapid decline in public transportation use, putting vulnerable populations at greater risk, says Heather Thompson, director of the Institute.
“The coronavirus has dramatically exposed our inequalities at all levels, including our travel options.” Those with higher incomes tend to have access to pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and transportation, while those with lower incomes do not have access to any. “.
“It is necessary to change the balance of space in cities at the expense of cars. “We have a lot to gain, from cleaner air and better health to stronger local economies and deeper social ties within communities.”
During lockdowns to curb coronavirus outbreaks, city dwellers around the world began walking and exercising on roads closed to traffic.
However, as restrictions lowered, traffic increased. Most cars on the roads deteriorate air quality, increase emissions of toxic gases and pose a greater risk to pedestrians, according to the institute.
The Institute’s research ranks cities based on criteria such as the density of urban building blocks, the proximity of residents to car-free open spaces, and their access to services including health care and education.
Cities in the United States rank low, according to the survey.
“Pedestrian-friendly cities don’t just happen,” explains Dr. Taylor Reich, associate of the Institute and lead author of the study.
As he points out, authorities must first understand the problems caused by car-oriented design. They can then take concrete steps in “mixed-use” urban development – the integration, that is, of different types of buildings and uses, residential or commercial, old or new – to equip roads with benches, large sidewalks and awnings.
A pedestrian-friendly neighborhood is associated with better health for its residents and fewer deaths on the road. In addition, it strengthens local businesses, reduces social inequalities and increases resilience to the effects of climate change and economic crises, Reich notes.
A separate study by scientists at the University of Warwick in the UK has shown that a more sustainable economic model could help the international community to recover financially from the pandemic while achieving targets of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
During closures, improvements in air quality may have saved more lives, while reduced noise pollution and traffic congestion have led to an increase in the number of people exercising outdoors, according to a study. published this week.
In recent months, many cities have added bike lanes, widened sidewalks, and converted parking lots.
“Today, the suitability of cities for pedestrians must be at the heart of urban planning, and cleaning the streets of automobiles is a ‘short and cost-effective way’ to make cities more pedestrian-friendly,” Thomson added.
“In our new regularity, our world has become much smaller and walking is more important than ever,” he concludes.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
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