The Oil Drum: Campfire | Livable Streets and Reclaiming Public Space for People (Instead of Automobiles)

Livable Streets and Reclaiming Public Space for People (Instead of Automobiles)

Posted by Glenn on May 13, 2009 - 6:13pm in The Oil Drum: Campfire
Topic: Environment/Sustainability
Tags: livable streets, movie, new york city, ocean city, public space, sustainability [list all tags]

One of clearest ways that cities and towns can start to de-couple their economic fates from the addiction to oil is to create alternatives to automobile centric lifestyles. One way that New York and other cities are adapting their land use policies is to reclaim space from automobiles to encourage a rich pedestrian environment that attracts people to sit, relax, walk around their neighborhood or commercial districts

For anyone who is down in the dumps and thinks that nothing can be done to change the car-culture where you are, I hope this post offers a glimmer of hope, optimism and inspiration on what can be done when we re-think our public domain.

Here are a few examples of reclaiming space from automobiles (courtesy of Streetfilms) to create more of a livable streetscape or car-free environment from all around the world.

Madison Square Park

Summer Streets 2008

London Public Spaces Program

Paris Velib Bike Sharing Program

Columbia: Ciclovia Car-Free Streets

Melbourne Livable Streets

Boulder Colorado Goes Platinum Biking

Ocean City New Jersey Calms an Intersection through Public Art

And Finally, a mockumentary about a mythical creature that once inhabited pubic spaces all over the world that may have started it's return from the endangered species list because of all these livable street initiatives: THE ZOZO