Pedestrians are often overlooked in traffic planning. However, a city that is geared to fit the needs of pedestrians is a city that is designed for the people. In the coming weeks, Melbourne will take the next steps and make four of its streets pedestrian friendly. In Flinders Lane, Little Collins, Little Bourke and Little Londsdale, pedestrians will have the right of way over the whole street. Car speed limit will be brought down from 40 km/h to 20 km/h. The concept is part of the Melbourne Transport Strategy 2030, which also features fast-track bike lanes. Also, by giving more space to users, these actions will allow to comply with COVID-19 pandemic distance rules. These little changes increase quality of urban life. People can comfortably spend time in public spaces, instead of being forced to flee due to noisy and polluting car traffic. Pedestrian streets are a great measure that contributes towards more livable cities!

In 2010 the city of Copenhagen introduced a policy that makes the installation of green roofs compulsory for newly constructed buildings with roof slopes < 30 degrees. Today, 10 years later, there is an estimated area of 200.000 m2 of roof gardens in the city. Green roofs have many advantages, especially concerning climate and air quality. Green roofs can capture up to 80% of rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding. In addition, they reduce the urban heat island effect and maintain biodiversity. In 2012 the green roof policy was included within the CPH 2025 climate plan, which aims to make Copenhagen climate neutral by 2025 and is itself a best practice example. Copenhagen is not alone, other cities have similar policies in place: Basel, Munich, Portland, San Francisco, Tokyo or Toronto.

Find all the essentials for everyday life within 15 minutes from home – preferably by walking or cycling. That’s the basic concept of the so-called 15-minute city. The desired impact: clean air and improved quality of urban life. The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo has made the “Ville Du Quart D’Heure” her very own mission. She plans to make Paris a people-friendly and sustainable city by removing space for cars and extending space for walking and cycling. Her concept also seems to convince the citizens of Paris – on June 28th she was re-elected as mayor. Whether the ecological transformation of the city will be undertaken and how, and if her ambitious goals in the field of mobility will be achieved, will be revealed during the coming years. The 15-minute city is based on the idea of the “segmented city” by Parisian professor Carlos Moreno. Linking hyper-proximities with multimodal and shared services can save time and space while making it possible to live comfortably without a private car.

It is worth taking a look at the City Maut currently being discussed in Berlin. It is being discussed in Vienna, will soon be introduced in New York, and has been in place in Singapore, Oslo, Stockholm, and Milan for over 10 years. One of the most famous examples is the London Congestion Charge. For 13 years now, the city has enjoyed success with reduced inner-city traffic and more offers for commuters. The Centre for Public Impact records among other things: 37 % more commuters by bus in the first year after introduction; 16 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the first year after introduction; 40-70 % less accidents in the zone.