June 25, 2020 - Since cities came to exist 5,000 years ago, epidemics have shaped their fate. Today, the coronavirus pandemic, in all its horror, opens the prospect of sweeping urban change. This is a golden moment for the movement known as tactical urbanism. reports the New York Times in an article by Justin Gillis and Heather Thompson
More than 200 cities have already announced road closings in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Cities need to seize this moment and move at lightning speed.
With people hunkered down at home, cities should act quickly to find a better balance between cars and pedestrians and cyclists. All over the world, forward-looking cities large and small have already jumped into action.
In Medellin, the innovative Colombian city nestled in the Andes, workers are seizing traffic lanes and slapping down yellow paint as cars have been evicted to reserve the lanes for bicyclists. In European cities, “corona cycleways” have become the new norm. In New York, the city has pledged to set aside 100 miles of roads for people on foot or bike, largely closing the streets to traffic during daylight hours.
Read the full article here.
