Thursday, May 03, 2007

Dane Planner tells Canadians - Carfree Streets Work!


Strøget, Copenhagen's pedestrian zone

Danish consultant Lars Gemzoe said "a change of urban culture" in Copenhagen resulted in more and more sites being reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. He said his nation’s capital, home to about 500,000 in its central district alone, opened its first car-free road in 1962.

Mr. Gemzoe said other streets have since been made off-limits to vehicles, and the result is a sociable downtown that’s a welcoming world for walkers.

He said walking "is a simple, cheap and low-noise activity" that doesn’t pollute the atmosphere and helps improve pedestrians’ fitness levels. From an urban design point of view, Mr. Gemzoe said, pedestrian-only streets downtown can provide a portal to improved human relationships.

Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I once watched a Denmark World Cup soccer match in the main square of Copenhagen. It was broadcast on huge TV screens at locations in carfree squares across the Central District. It was free.

What an amazing day that was.

The Danes won.

The whole city celebrated late into the night.

- Matt Jacobs, NYC