Quote:
Originally Posted by YourBuddy
I haven’t been able to spend time in Downtown Phoenix yet, but seeing these renderings it makes me wonder if there are any pedestrian only streets? Even if it is just a small section I think it would be very cool for the area. Seems like somewhere close to Roosevelt close to the arts and restaurants would be very popular. In such a car centric city it probably isn’t popular tho.
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There was a proposal by Councilman Nowakowski to make this happen on Adams Street a few years ago. It did not move forward, and I think that was for the best. As said above, the block of Central between Washington and Jefferson will be limited to pedestrians, trains, and buses in the future. I think that will be okay because the transit hub will generate significant foot traffic in the area.
If you have a chance, I suggest reading Jeff Speck's "Walkable City." The author is a strenuous advocate of pedestrian-oriented cities, but he argues that most pedestrian malls have been failures that have overcompensated for years of car-centric planning by going too far in the other direction. The result has been numerous pedestrian malls that have choked all business activity and have been resuscitated only when they were reopened to traffic on a limited basis.
There are a few success stories like 16th Street in Denver, but there are many more failures. For that reason, this is an area where cities should proceed with caution, narrowing streets and adding bike lanes, but not closing them to cars completely unless they already have a great deal of pedestrian activity at all times, not just during special events.