Walkability and green spaces are not the same thing, but it feels as if they ought to be related somehow. This is because walkability in its most basic form is more than some version of “is possible to walk there”, but also “is possible and pleasant to walk there.” Or is it? One published definition of walkability, for example, is: “The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area.” (from Walkability Scoping Paper, 2005). All the action is in the word “friendly”, and there’s a lot of unpacking to do. Read more.
Submitted by David Maddox — Fri, 11/08/2013 – 12:17
Mumbai’s streets are a scary battleground. Rickshaws nudge ahead of beastly city buses; cows wander aimlessly through jams of oversized cars; and pedestrians push across busy intersections in droves, hoping the power in numbers will help them reach the other side safely. Everyone is vulnerable in this situation, but no one more than the thousands of school children who walk to school, often in the streets, in the absence of school buses and navigable sidewalks. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
O fato que Curitiba seja reconhecida como uma cidade verde, acessível e organizada não é um resultado improvisado, mais é resultado de uma cultura sólida de planejamento urbano e da liderança de suas administrações. Apresentamos alguns dos motivos que ajudam a explicar aquela boa reputação de Curitiba especialmente sobre por que é verde, acessível e “humana”; também apresentamos alguns dos desafios que enfrenta na matéria. Leia mais o discutir.
Curitiba’s reputation of being a green, accessible, and organized city is not just a random one, but a planned result of decades of strong urban planning practices and leadership by local administrations. Let’s take a look at what the city has done well to achieve its reputation — specifically, why is it so green, accessible, and even “humane” — while also examining some of the challenges it faces in these respects. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
In 2004, an estimated 5,000 lives were lost from road crashes on Nigerian motorways. This number more than tripled in 2006, with an estimated 16,000 people killed as a result of road crashes. Low awareness of road safety among road users (pedestrians and motorists), and poor road conditions are some critical factors responsible for these avoidable fatalities. The city of Lagos is crawling with millions of people, the majority of whom travel on foot. Recently, there has been more emphasis on keeping city pedestrians safe from harm’s way by improving road safety rules and infrastructure. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Wura — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
Apa yang terjadi ketika seseorang memutuskan naik sepeda di Jakarta? rata-rata mereka pasti akan mengeluh soal betapa parah polusi dan kemacetan di jalan, belum ditambah sepeda motor atau bis kota yang tidak mau mengalah dan memotong jalan dan mobil yang kian hari jumlahnya terus bertambah. Ditengah kekacauan kota Jakarta, ada angin segar dari pemerintah yang mulai menunjukkan keperpihakan terhadap para pemakai sepeda di Jakarta dengan membuat jalur sepeda pertama kalinya tahun 2011. Meski demikian masih banyak tantangan bagi Jakarta untuk menjadi kota yang ramah bagi pemakai sepeda. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.
Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
Desde mediados del siglo XX Cali ha experimentado un crecimiento muy significativo. La población que en 1951 era de 284.000 personas, pasó a 1.400.000 en 1991, y a 2.3200.000 en el 2013. El antiguo dentro histórico se ha visto rodeado por una sucesión de hasta 22 comunas en una extensión de 120.000 km2. La creciente necesidad de traslados dentro de la ciudad, y la ausencia de un sistema de transporte masivo, resultaron en un crecimiento explosivo en el número de vehículos circulando por la ciudad, y que en el último censo publicado, con datos del 2011, superaban ya el medio millón. Para acomodar todo este tráfico rodado, los sucesivos gobiernos municipales buscaron ampliar las calzadas y crearon vías rápidas, desplazando al peatón a un segundo lugar. Como consecuencia de todas estas dinámicas, Cali se convirtió en una ciudad sumamente congestionada, difícil y peligrosa para los peatones y ciclistas, y con un considerable déficit de espacios públicos. Leer más o discutir.
Cali’s growth since the mid-20th century has been exponential. Population went from 284,000 in 1951 to 1,400,000 in 1991, and then to 2,320,000 in 2013. The traditional city center became surrounded by 22 neighborhoods and a total urban extension of 120,000 km2. Increase in size meant an increase in transportation needs, and in the absence of a mass transportation system, the number of motorized vehicles grew to over 500,000 by 2011, the last year for which official records are available. In order to accommodate these vehicles, roads where expanded at the expense of sidewalks, and highways were built within the city. As a consequence, Cali became a difficult and dangerous city for pedestrians and cyclists, at the same time that traffic congestion has worsened. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
Travel in South Africa, and Southern Africa in general, is highly skewed by economic means. It is dominated by walking (often great distances on poor quality footpaths) and by public transport, primarily among the poor. In Johannesburg, the situation is exacerbated by the marginalisation created by historic spatial planning and the sprawling, low-density nature of the city. According to the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Transport, urbanisation and urban poverty require not only urban transport solutions but also low-cost modes of travel such as cycling. This strategy, known as “Non-Motorised Transport” or NMT, over recent years has gradually become a priority area at National, Provincial and Local Government levels, resulting in the City of Johannesburg’s Framework for NMT in 2009. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Tariq Toffa — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00
Di Bulan Oktober ini, Pemerintah DKI Jakarta memulai pembangunan dua sistem transportasi massal berbasis rel, yaitu MRT dan Monorail. Gubernur Jakarta Joko Widodo meresmikan pembangunan awal stasiun kereta transportasi massal cepat (MRT) di kawasan Dukuh Atas, Jakarta Pusat, pada hari Kamis 10 Oktober 2013. Jalur MRT ini merupakan tahap pertama yang akan menghubungkan kawasan Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, Blok M hingga Lebak Bulus. Rencananya pemerintah Jakarta akan membangun proyek MRT lanjutan yang menghubungkan berbagai wilayah di Jakarta. Baca lebih lanjut.
Submitted by Nanda Ratna — Thu, 10/24/2013 – 15:10
Kebijakan pemerintah pusat mengenai low cost green car (LCGC) atau yang lebih dikenal masyarakat sebagai “mobil murah” menimbulkan pro dan kontra. Pemerintah pusat, dalam hal ini Kementerian Perindustrian, menyatakan bahwa dengan adanya LCGC ini akan menumbuhkan industri otomotif dalam negri karena dibuat di Indonesia dan memakai komponen buatan Indonesia. Aturan mengenai LCGC ini tertuang dalam Peraturan Menteri Perindustrian (Permenperin) Nomor 33/M-IND/PER/7/2013 tentang Pengembangan Produksi Kendaraan Bermotor Roda Empat yang Hemat Energi dan Harga Terjangkau. Permenperin itu merupakan turunan dari program mobil emisi karbon rendah atau low emission carbon yang telah diatur dalam Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 41 Tahun 2013 tentang kendaraan yang dikenai Pajak Penjualan atas Barang Mewah (PPnBM). Peraturan itu antara lain menyebutkan tentang keringanan pajak bagi penjualan mobil hemat energi. Hal ini memungkinkan produsen menjual mobil di bawah Rp 100 juta. Dengan peraturan itu, mobil dengan kapasitas mesin di bawah 1.200 cc dan konsumsi bahan bakar paling setidaknya 20 km per liter dapat dipasarkan tanpa PPnBM. Baca lebih lanjut.
Submitted by Nanda Ratna — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 10:26
Mumbai’s commuter woes are as oft discussed as scores to the latest cricket match. They are griped about daily and exchanged with fervor. Gridlock, overcrowded trains, non-existent east-west routes dominate the discussion and so do the controversial solutions on the table: sealinks, flyovers, monorails. Transportation activists such as Rishi Aggarwal, a research fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and member of the Mumbai Transport Forum (MTF), says that one of the major issues is that there is no integrated approach to planning, leaving commuters with ad hoc, disconnected systems. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00 