A Pedestrian Paradise

Melbourne with its 4 Mio. inhabitants was’nt always a heaven for pedestrian life. In the early 90’s, Jan Gehl published a study with recommendations on how to make the streets and public spaces more people friendly. Ten years after the survey’s findings and implementation, Melbourne was a remarkably different place. Thanks to sidewalk widenings, tree plantings, a burgeoning cafe culture, and various types of car restrictions on some streets, public life, art and commerce abound. Melbourne is a new world city, in that is has a modern grid much like a typical American metropolis. Those who believe that only the narrow streets that traverse many European cities can effectively accommodate this kind of people friendly public space, can look to Melbourne to see that isn’t necessarily so.