"Pedestrianizing" Urban Areas

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the importance of child friendly spaces in urban areas. It suggests that children and other pedestrians are often not taken into account when planning urban areas. The paper argues that Commercial Drive in the Grandview Woodlands Park Area of Vancouver, BC should be "pedestrianized" and vehicular traffic should be diverted from the area. The paper briefly describes the benefits of such a move.

From the Paper:

"I would argue that these youthful rebels are correct - the space occupied by vehicular traffic on Commercial Drive should be allocated to children, youth and other residents. The No. 20 bus could easily be diverted to run on Victoria Drive for the section of road between Venables and 1st Avenue - or possibly even as far as Broadway. This should make the entire area a true children's paradise, where children could wander safely, without fear of traffic. It would also reduce the pollution that currently sails into the park and the schools, polluting the lungs of children. And it would facilitate the interaction of younger and older residents in a stress-free environment. The street could be converted into a park-cum-public space. All in all, Commercial Drive should be pedestrianized to create a much-needed public space for all local residents, thus facilitating inter-generational contact, and making the area safer and healthier for children."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berelowitz, Lance. "Public Life or Spectacle? The Culture of Public Space." Dream City: Vancouver and the Public Imagination.
• Berson, Misha. "Vancouver, B.C.'s Commercial Drive is a retro, multiethnic kick." Seattle Times. 10 November 2005. Retrieved from http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=nwwvancouver10&date=20051110&query=commercial+Drive
• Crowhurst Lennard, Suzanne H. and Lennard, Henry L. "The Good City for Children." Livable Cities Observed. Carmel, California: Gondolier Press, 1995.
• Henaff, Marcel and Tracy B. Strong. (Eds). Public Space and Democracy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001.

More papers on "Pedestrianizing" Urban Areas:

• Descriptive Essay # 131989 : "Child Friendly Spaces in Urban Areas"
• Essay # 87656 : "Public Space in the St. Clair West Corridor"
• Comparison Essay # 100127 : "The Cultures of a Metropolis"

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