The sound of the future
One of the main concerns with the advent of EVs on our roads is the fact that they are substantially silent. Pedestrians are already having trouble dealing with traffic as they are distracted by phones, etc. and these risks to become a bigger problem with cars that cannot be heard at all. Apart from the […]
Oslo car ban is not an easy task
In the post Oslo cuts on-street parking, we presented one of the city’s initiatives to meet its plan of having a car-free centre by 2019. To discourage car usage in the short term, the city opted to promote high-impact and low-cost improvements for cyclists and pedestrians by reducing on-street parking. Although the measure seemed to […]
More parking isn’t always the answer
Location is a crucial competitive aspect for retailers in general and restaurants in particular. Once the location is chosen, there are limited options to improve access to their business. Therefore, they usually tend to advocate for increasing parking supply as a way of providing more convenience to their current and potential customers and as such, […]
Oslo cuts on-street parking
Oslo’s plans for a car-free city centre by 2019 is resulting in several changes in the city transport matrix. The city is implementing strategies to make walking the preferred transportation mode, followed by cycling and public transport, as was reported in the Streetfilm movie below. The city is working on creating more pedestrian friendly areas […]
From car to transit-centred city
Almost half of commuters choose public transport to reach downtown Seattle.
How cities are restricting private cars to tackle air pollution
Fossil fuelled vehicles are the major culprit when it comes to air pollution in large urban centres. Paris, London, Madrid, Barcelona and Mexico City are some of the cities that are developing plans targeting private cars as part of the solution to improve air quality…. Please Register or Log In for more....
Strategies to reduce air pollution
Marylebone Road, in Westminster City, was recently named one of the 20 sites in London with very high pollution. As part of the plan to address the issue, the council wants to discourage the use of diesel vehicles by introducing a parking surcharge, as reported by The Telegraph. Therefore, from April, diesel drivers will pay […]
Happy City: Less Car, More People-Centric
Enrique Peñalosa was the subject of the Wayfinding Blog in 2014 when we shared his TED talk about equality in city planning. Now the second time Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, is going to host the Congress of United Cities and Local Governments and one more time he is bringing up the discussion about transport, people […]
Will autonomous cars drive people away or to suburbs?
Autonomous vehicles may ease common problems of suburban life such as deliveries, grocery shopping and going to the city for work or leisure. The new technology will probably decrease the cost of deliveries and will facilitate driving for long distances or in intense traffic. At the same time, urban living will become easier as well, […]
Navigating the future of mobility
The shift from a driver-controlled and personally-owned car system to an autonomous shared vehicle model The future of the automotive industry is in a state of flux, as major shifts in technology and consumer behaviour take place. The industry structure will be particularly affected by the emergence of autonomous cars and the younger generation’s preference…...
Delhi Government tries to combat 1,400 new cars onto its roads
The Local Government has tried to take a proactive approach to reduce toxic air in Delhi by announcing an emergency car rationing plan. In an experiment that was to only last 15 days, cars with odd-numbered plates could drive in Delhi roads on odd-numbered days and even-numbered cars on even days, as reported in the […]
The woman behind 640km of bike lanes in NYC
Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC’s recent transportation commissioner, was instrumental in the introduction of over 640 km of bike lanes to the NYC cityscape. She was the driving force behind the impressive makeover of NYC’s Department of Transportation (DOT) from 2007 to 2013 with bikes, cycle paths and a new way of mobility top of mind. As […]
Robotic car parks – how successful are they?
Automatic robotic parking garages have been popping up around the world from Miami to Denmark for many years. Whilst they represent a sign of the times in terms of the development of technology and smart cities, their design and implementation can sometimes be problematic. Take for instance what is considered the perfect car park in […]
Vandalising parking meters: coming to a street near you!
I was recently directed to an article appearing in The Age about how the citizens of a Melbourne suburb literally dealt a blow to the Council’s attempts to manage parking in the district. They resorted to bashing up the meters with hammers and other hooligan-istic practices. I have to say that this is nothing new […]
Sustainable public transport the key to Shanghai’s bold development program
According to ShanghaiDaily.com, the city is set to be developed into a ‘megacity’. However, it will be a long journey for planners and policy makers. The thoughts of local residents resonate with many residents here in Sydney – ‘long commutes and traffic jams’. Planners in both cities are faced with massive challenges to make them […]
Will driverless cars survive the test?
On 8th November, media and key industry personnel were exposed to the first demonstration of driverless cars in Adelaide. The SMH reported a ride in a driverless car was seamless. The feeling was the same – smooth, safe and structured. According to the reporter Adam Carey, the car cruised leisurely along the highway at […]
Transport planning and infrastructure key to the successful introduction of driverless cars
There is no doubt that driverless cars will be here within the next five to 10 years and the NSW Government is certainly putting planning and infrastructure at the top of the list. NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Andrew Constance, recently announced in the AFR that “transport planners must prepare by reassessing investment priorities and […]
Is Sydney Ready for a Congestion Tax?
The topical and contentious issue of a congestion tax was again discussed in the SMH this week. As major transport projects are completed over the next few years, the Baird government has left the door open to consider introducing a congestion tax, whose aim would be to charge motorists to enter the CBD to […]
Salt Lake City: less cars and more bikes = a boost to retail profitability
Salt Lake City leads by example. Retailers are renown for hitting the panic button when there are plans to remove on-street parking and add extra space for bicycles. However, according to Streetsblog.org, a growing body of evidence suggests that the introduction of additional bikes and bike lanes, can lead to a calmer streetscape […]
Belgium takes a leap of faith into green street parking
For the Belgian town of Ghent, population of 600,000, the idea was simple: create a car-free street during the summer months and let the community decide what to do with the space. For a period of two months, 25 streets have been transformed into a perfect playground for kids. The crux of the idea is: […]
Fast cars and freeways come to an end in Los Angeles
Los Angeles City Council takes a leap of faith and approves a new transportation plan, (Mobility Plan 2035), that would remodel the LA streetscape over the next 20 years. The new plan could see the “sacrificing of car lanes to make way for bikes and buses”, according to the NY Times. The plan aims to […]
Happy PARK(ing) Day
Creativity and a forward thinking group of innovative designers, Rebar, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary park in downtown San Francisco. Bingo – a worldwide event was created – PARK(ing) Day. From its humble beginnings in 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement and it is here in […]
The future of driverless cars – how soon will they be here?
The South Australian Government have joined the driverless car movement with a recent commitment to “pass laws to allow driverless cars on the road within a decade”, according to the ABC. The SA Government hopes to “foster technological innovation and revive Australia’s manufacturing industry” with this initiative. Consequently, the first trials for driverless […]
Urban mobility goes electric in Copenhagen
As reported in Inside EVs, a new initiative between leading business groups and providers of public transport has seen urban mobility jump to the forefront in Copenhagen. In a joint initiative between Arriva (Denmark’s provider of public transport), DriveNow (European car sharing operator) and BMW, means the people of Copenhagen can now enjoy urban […]
Will Melbourne commuter car parks ease congestion?
Is building multi-level car parks at train stations the best way to encourage the use of trains by commuters? This question was presented in a recent article in the Melbourne Age, whereby Metro (Melbourne’s rail operator) proposed to build a multi-storey car park at some of Melbourne’s busiest railway stations and potentially charge commuters to […]
Driverless Cars – Google’s vision for road safety
The Globe and Mail (Vancouver) reports on a recent TED Talk regarding Google’s driverless car program. The man behind this program, Chris Urmson (Google’s Director of Self-Driving Cars) declares the technology designed to remove humans from the driver’s seat will be available within the next five years. Urmson remarks, “we’ve made some pretty exciting progress and at […]
Car-Free Areas announced for Central Park
A new initiative from the City of New York, Office of the Mayor, Bill de Blasio, has released some key improvements to major sections of Central Park, which will be solely dedicated to recreation. Improvements to Central Park and Prospect Park will make the majority of each park car-free. These changes will restore major sections […]
BMW unveils “predictive parking”
Take the frustration out of finding that elusive parking spot with BMW’s new “predictive parking” feature (iPark), unveiled during the recent Detroit car show. According to Fortune in the US, “drivers waste an average of 55 hours a year looking for parking, costing consumers and local economies nearly $600 million in wasted time and fuel”. Not […]
Car parks are hot property in Sydney, too
As reported in the Property Observer, a spirited auction for an undercover Potts Point car space fetched $264,000. This price reflected around $10,000 per square metre. In an area that has been described as the toughest in Australia to find a car space – with almost 25,000 residents living in a 1.89 square kilometre, restaurant mecca […]
Hospital Cycling Initiative Reduces Carbon Emissions
Forward thinking, planning and initiative paved the way for the Seattle Children’s Hospital to develop a comprehensive Transportation Plan. According to a well-known American blog – Streetsblog USA, The Seattle Children’s Hospital is leading the way in “Sustainable Healthcare Architecture”. Launched in 2008, “the new target was to reduce the share of commuters who arrive […]