The urban planning which has taken place in numerous European cities, especially in the postwar period, favors the needs of pedestrians and thus promotes a higher quality of life. Instead of designing the cities to accommodate large vehicles, architects and civil engineers in some European cities have decided to close major streets to traffic and transform them into healthier and more enjoyable pedestrian zones.
The city in Rotterdam in the Netherlands witnessed such a change in its infrastructure. By closing the Lijbaan Street in 1953, the city center became a welcoming, calm place, ready to thrive. Initially, the shopkeepers in the area feared that they would have to close their local businesses due to lack of traffic and customers, however the opposite happened. More and more people visited the city center and the sales rose.
Nowadays, we can witness a movement promoting the wellbeing of people by creating car-free zones. The two most notable examples in the USA are New York City and San Francisco. Both of these cities have transformed some of their busiest streets into people-oriented, friendly zones, perfect for walking, jogging, or cycling.
These changes reflect the shift in people’s priorities and the desire to use city space wisely.
