Pedestrianization in large cities
The case of 42nd street, Midtown Manhattan
Ronald Woudstra, Master’s Candidate in City and Regional Planning
Structure of the presentation
Statement of the issue; goals & objectives
Literature Review
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Statement of the issue
Midtown Manhattan is a heavily congested area, and a major destination for commuters, 85 percent of whom commute to Midtown by train, bus, ferry. Most commuters proceed to their final destination on foot or by local transit.
Especially congested is 42nd street, a corridor which connects major destinations and transportation hubs such as the UN, Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park, Times Square, and the P.A. Bus Center with the waterfronts, ferries and new developments at the riverfronts (Warren et al, 2008: p.5).
Traffic volumes: 42nd street
Pedestrians outnumber motorists by 5 to 1.
Allocation of space: 42nd street
60% of the right-of-way is allocated to motorists
Statement of the issue
Statement of the issue
Statement of the issue
The implementation of “Vision 42”, or an auto-free boulevard along 42nd street, would:
1. Adress the two main transportation inefficiencies along 42nd street: crosstown transit & pedestrian facilities
2. Improve the overall framework for (re)development in the area
3. Distrupt car traffic in the 10-block 42nd street area to a minimal extent
Despite these advantages; the vision has not been adopted.
Goals & Objectives
The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore different approaches to pedestrianization in large cities, in order to make recommendations for a feasible approach to transforming 42nd street in Manhattan into a pedestrian friendly and efficient route.
Literature Review
Three-part Literature Review:
• The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation system
• Recent trends in the Pedestrianization of major streets • The role of incremental planning
The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation
system [1/2]:
“Higher density environments typically are characterized by a higher proximity of amenities, which is crucial in establishing a pedestrian friendly environment” (Tilth et al, 2007: p. 376)
Literature Review
The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation
system [1/2]:
“Higher density environments typically are characterized by a higher proximity of amenities, which is crucial in establishing a pedestrian friendly environment” (Tilth et al, 2007: p. 376)
“extensive reliance on the car has a negative, long-term effect
on the character and the physical form of urban areas.” (Vuchic, 2005: pp.35-36)
Literature Review
The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation
system [1/2]:
“Higher density environments typically are characterized by a higher proximity of amenities, which is crucial in establishing a pedestrian friendly environment” (Tilth et al, 2007: p. 376)
“extensive reliance on the car has a negative, long-term effect on
the character and the physical form of urban areas.” (Vuchic, 2005: pp.35-36)
“The more accommodations for the car are provided (highways, streets, parking), the less attractive the city is for people” (Vuchic, 2005: p.73)
Literature ReviewLiterature Review
The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation
system [2/2]:
“cities that have been primarily concerned with enhancing livability have touted the importance of pedestrian activity. In combination with pedestrian traffic, public transit contributes to a city’s human character, as well as increases the city’s appeal and its overall efficiency.” (Vuchic, 2005: p.88)
Literature Review
The relevance of planning for pedestrians and for a multimodal transportation
system [2/2]:
“cities that have been primarily concerned with enhancing livability have touted the importance of pedestrian activity. In combination with pedestrian traffic, public transit contributes to a city’s human character, as well as increases the city’s appeal and its overall efficiency.” (Vuchic, 2005: p.88)
“Cities that value multimodal transportation systems recognize the social equity aspects of transportation and the need to offer the complete population a means of mobility” (Vuchic,
2005: p.27).
Literature ReviewLiterature Review
Recent trends in the Pedestrianization of major streets:
The “Pedestrian Mall” or “Transit Mall” as the ideal model of a pedestrian-priority Street for 42nd
street.
Literature Review
16th street Transit Mall, Denver, CO
Literature Review
The role of incremental planning:
“Enhancing the vitality of our communities and neighborhoods often starts at the scale of the building, the block or the street. […] incremental improvements and piecemeal planning interventions are “increasingly seen as a way to stage more substantial investments” (Lydon et al, 2011: p.1).
“In a trial-and-error approach, where results may be observed
after implementation and can be measured in real-time.”
Literature Review
42nd street has long captured the imagination of urban planners & designers:
• The Regional Plan Association, 1969
• Department of City Planning’s Urban Design Group, 1978
• The Institute for Rational Mobility, 2000s
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Labeled as a “Prototype of the cross-town pedestrian axes”, the 1969 study advocated for a further reinforcement of the street as a pedestrian corridor (Okamoto, 1969: p. 88).
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Urban Design Group: 1978 study
• 2,000,000 pedestrian trips generated in the 42nd street area daily
• Pedestrian traffic caused severe pedestrian congestion • Pedestrian space along the 42nd street corridor is deficient• “curb cuts” impede pedestrian travel• River-to-river transportation, including the crosstown bus
that runs along 42nd street, was found to be both inefficient and slow
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
In addition to pedestrian improvements, light rail transit was proposed by the study
42nd street:• Historically a linear spine that connects major Midtown
“hubs”• Inefficient local transportation decades-old problem• Suggestions for wider sidewalks, enhanced pedestrian
amenities, and local public transit have been proposed over and over again, yet progress has been slow at best
Historical Precedents: Transforming 42nd St.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction§1.1 Statement of the Issue§1.2 Goals and Objectives of the Study§1.3 Literature Review§1.4 Methodology§1.5 Organization of the Study
Chapter 2 Historical precedents regarding the transformation of 42nd street§2.1 Regional Plan Association: Urban Design Study of Manhattan, 1969§2.2 New York Department of City Planning – Urban Design Group: 42nd
Street Study§2.3 Vision 42
Chapter 3 Pedestrian projects in New York: Benefits, Processes, and Issues
§3.1 The Potential Benefits of Pedestrian Projects in New York City§ 3.2 Pedestrian projects in New York: trends and processes§ 3.3 Pedestrian projects in New York: Issues
Chapter 4 Recommendations regarding the pedestrianization of 42nd street
Chapter 5 Conclusion§5.1 Summary of Findings§5.2 Suggestions for Future Research
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