Margaret Crawford's explanation of everyday urbanism coincides with a revolution in cities today with the relationship of cars and people. Cities once allowed people to walk freely without being constrained to just a sidewalk. However, this was also the same period that offered horse and buggy as a main source of transportation. The 20th Century offered a great growth in technology including the impact of the car. Today, our cities offer more space to the car rather than the people living in the city, as if the car has more importance in these areas than the people. Through out Europe, there seems to be a homogenous mix of car to pedestrian. Some streets are only used for bikers or walkers. As our cities develop more over time, this could be the answer to American cities and make it more friendly to walkers than drivers.
I agree that Europe has a lot more of a homogenous mix of car and pedestrian space. America's development of the suburbs made cars a necessity for people to get to and from work, so cars were definitely prioritized throughout the development of circulation space in American cities. With the priority on cars in America it also made public transportation lesser of a focus compared to Europe, so now people are struggling to look for alternatives to driving. It feels like we've dug ourselves into a hole in America with the focus on cars we've had for the past century and no one's exactly sure on how to realistically dig ourselves out. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteNeighborhoods like Pearl District and Northwest Portland are pretty good examples of prioritizing pedestrians and providing alternative modes of transportation over cars. Their approach to urban planning, mixed-used development, pedestrian friendly streetscapes, and easily accessible public spaces make it a good model for other American cities to follow.
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