Initiatives to pedestrianise streets and reclaim space from traffic for walking are happening overnight.

Initiatives to pedestrianise streets and reclaim space from traffic for walking that for decades have been seen by most cities as too hard are happening overnight.

We are living through a period during which cities are changing much faster than usual. Lengthy and conservative cycles of planning, consultation, policy development, budgeting and implementation are being bypassed by accelerated delivery frameworks and temporary interventions…….

 

James Evans, Karen Lucas, Jim Walker and Bronwen Thornton, June 2020

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Air pollution and COVID-19

From Polis Webinar:

Early evidence shows that pollution from transport might have played a role in worsening the impact of the virus, highlighting a clear need to reduce pollution not just during COVID-19 but also to deliver long-term health benefits for Europe. Sustainable urban mobility will play a key role in reducing air pollution and solutions are now needed to ensure that cities and regions enjoy good air quality now and in the future.

Air pollution can have serious effects on every organ in the body and can even adversely affect unborn children. Many chronic diseases, such as asthma, type 2 diabetes, lung cancer and respiratory infection are known to be caused by or made worse by air pollution. 

Post-Lockdown Mobility webinar report   whole article from Polis 

Fewer cars on the road during the pandemic has meant cleaner air, but not necessarily fewer traffic deaths.

The Traffic Trade-Off

By Tanya Mohn     NY-Times

Fewer cars on the road during the pandemic has meant cleaner air, but not necessarily fewer traffic deaths. Can we have both?

Milan in late April. The city has reallocated some lanes for bicycles and pedestrians.     Credit…Daniele Mascolo/Reuters

As we now know, the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has been a silver lining for another global crisis: climate change. Sharp decreases in traffic and better air quality have been reported around the world, and hundreds of jurisdictions from Berlin to Bogotá are reallocating space to make it easier for walkers and cyclists with permanent and emergency solutions, like “pop-up” bike routes.

“We are at a moment of change that we have not seen since World War II when cities needed to reinvent themselves,” said Claudia Adriazola-Steil, global director for the health and road safety program at the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The longtime goals of reducing the number of cars on the roads and unacceptable levels of air pollution was achieved in a few weeks. You can see the Himalayan blue skies for the first time in 25 years.”

more: whole article from Tanja Mohn