Copenhagen Mastermind Jan Gehl Isn't Sold on 'Smart' Cities

Reconfiguring streets to slow automobile traffic through its downtown business district and encourage pedestrians and bicycling enlivened South Bend's street life and proved a boon to its restaurants and other businesses. Then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg pushed for the $25 million plan to make the streets safer and encourage people to spend more time and money in the area. Drivers complained about increased travel time, as they have about other cities’ “complete streets” programs. But Buttigieg and his supporters hope to push the concept when he runs the federal Transportation Department.

A plan to redesign Market Street in San Francisco uses a controversial approach used by cities around the world: eliminating personal cars entirely. This bicycle, pedestrian and bus-oriented layout approach reduces traffic accidents and fatalities; San Francisco plans to move forward with their plan in 2020.

In Pennsylvania, many cities face challenges in implementing Complete Street policies to improve street and transportation safety in urban cores. The cities and organizations that have done this successfully offer ideas to others about how they can use creative financing and piloting to overcome barriers and enforce the policy.

Ciclovía (Bicycle Way) is a well-known initiative from Bogota, Colombia that allows citizens to take over the public space once a week — roughly 75 miles of public streets. Citizens will bike, run, walk, dance, eat, people watch, and more in a weekly tradition that has turned into an egalitarian celebration imitated all over the world in countries like New Zealand and China. Proponents say that the Ciclovía increases the patience and cooperation of citizens are well as enhancing the feeling of community.

Oakland is making an effort to make city planning more equitable to include the needs of communities of color. "Esential Places" is the second iteration of a program that started off as "Slow Streets" and was criticized by local residents for catering to "white and moneyed interests." The initial attempt was informed by survey respondents who were overwhelmingly white and rich. Meetings with community members in distressed neighborhoods resulted in different traffic challenges and pedestrian needs. The shift in policy planning has led to safer intersections with no collisions at previously dangerous sites.

Oslo, Norway saw zero pedestrian and cyclist deaths in 2019. The success comes from infrastructure redesign, increased traffic enforcement, overall policy prioritization of road safety, and collaboration between residents, organizations, and government. In the United States, many cities are working toward “Vision Zero” – zero pedestrian and cycling deaths – and are looking to Oslo as an example.

As the District lagged on its Vision Zero goals, bike and pedestrian advocates in Washington turned traffic fatalities into a rallying cry, and got results.  

In order to cut back on automotive emissions and traffic within the city center, Amsterdam has introduced road-dividing "cuts" - called "knips" in Dutch - along major roadways to make travel in the city center easier for pedestrians and public transportation users. These cuts consist of barriers set to close off short sections of a street, therefore disabling through-travel to cars. The city notes that a "knip" effectively cuts automotive traffic on a blocked-off road by 70 percent.

In an effort to promote safe streets and bicycle and pedestrian safety, Officials in Tower Hamlets, an East London neighborhood, closed down a main community road to car traffic - and it didn't go well. But local officials learned from the pilot, recognizing a need to better prepare the community for any road closures as well as plan for alternative routes for car traffic.

In the uncertain, ever-shifting landscape of new technology startups trying to change urban mobility, city officials need to prioritize two criteria: mobility policy must promote equity and ensure that options are available to the most number of people and policies must be flexible enough for street and curb space to adapt to the technology. E-scooters and dockless bikes fit these criteria, and city officials must plan around them.