MakingCitiesMoreLivable:

IdeasandAction

DebraEfroymson

RuhanShama

HealthBridgeWBBTrust

Dhaka,May2007


INTRODUCTION
Livinginacrowded,polluted,noisyAsiancitysuchasDhaka,Bangkok,orJakarta,onemay
easilybelievethatthedefiningcharacteristicsofcitiesarethattheyareunpleasantplacesto
live.Citiesareoftendirty,polluted,noisy,crowded,andunsafe,bothintermsofcrimeand
roadaccidents.Ironically,theveryadvantageswhichattractpeopletocitiescanbecome
unattainableduetotheeffortsofsomanypeopletoreachthem;inthecourseofprofitingfrom
acitysvariousadvantages,thecitysresidentscandestroythefabricofthecity.Evenonbetter
days,inDhakaandmanyothercities,noiselevelsaredangerouslyhigh,andtheairistoxic.
Furtherproblems,notlimitedtobutcommonincities,includeproblemswithsupplyofwater
andelectricity,andadequatedrainageandsanitationsystems.

Givenalltheirproblems,wemaythusthinkofcitiesasplacesweareforcedtolive,inorderto
gainvariousopportunitieswhileenduringanunpleasantenvironment.Peoplelivinginthe
sameapartmentbuildingforyearsmaynotknowtheirneighbors;despitehighdensity,weare
oftenmoreseparatefromourneighborsinthecitythaninthefarlesspopulatedcountryside.
Incities,opportunitiestosocializearerare,especiallyforthoseoflowincome;outdoor
recreationislimitedandoftenunpleasant.Incities,unlikethecountryside,childrenhavefew
placestoplay;theythusspendmuchoftheirfreetimeinfrontofthetelevisionorcomputer,
interactingneitherwithotherchildrennorwiththeirownfamilies.
Whythendosomanypeoplechoosetoliveincities?Peoplecometocitiesformanyreasons:
toseekagoodjob,tosendtheirchildrentobetterschools,togethealthcare,forrecreation,to
meetfriends,andsoon.Duetotheirconcentratedpopulations,citiesoffermanyadvantages
thatcannotbereplicatedinthecountryside:asimilarqualityandquantityofjobs,educational
institutions,healthcareservices,andrecreationalopportunitiessimplycannotexistinrural
areas.Similarly,suchdiverseopportunitiesformeeting,mixingwith,andlearningfrom
differentpeoplecannot,bydefinition,existinlessdenselypopulatedareas.
Itisthusdifficultandunfairtoattempttostopmigrationtocitiesentirely,thoughcertainly
improvingconditionsinotherpartsofthecountrycouldhelpalleviatesomeoftherushon
cities.Atthesametime,citylifecouldbedrasticallyimprovednotthroughattemptingtostop
migration,butratherthroughaddressingthereasonsthaturbanlifeissoproblematic.
AccordingtoDavidEngwicht,anAustralianwriterandadvocate,thecityisaninventionto
maximizeexchangeopportunitiesandtominimizetravel.1Thatis,incitieswehaveaccessto
Engwicht1999

ideas,goods,food,money,friendship,andhopes,withouthavingtotravelfartoreachthem.
Howthenshouldcitiesbe?Placeswherewecaneasilyencountermanypeopleandideas;good
schoolsandjobs;art,music,dramainshort,alltheadvantagesoneobtainsfromhavingmany
peopleandobjectswithinarelativelysmallplace.Citiesshouldbepleasant,fun,andlivable.
Awelldesignedcity,onethatismeantforpeople,wouldbeacitywecouldalllove.

Sowhyaresomanyofourcitiessuchwretchedplacestolive,iftheycouldbesowonderful?
Whathasgonewrong?InthewordsofJanGehl,famousDanisharchitectandprofessor,
Automobileshaveinvadedourcitiesandsqueezedeveryoneelsetotheside.2Bygiving
centerspaceandprioritytothecar,wehaveforcedpeopletothemargins.Itisnotcities
themselvesthataretheproblem,butthefactthattheyaredesignedtosuitcars,notpeople.
Wehavebeenbuildingcitiesmoreforthemobilityofautomobilesthanthehappinessofits
inhabitants,3writesEnriquePealosa,formermayorofBogot,amanwhohasdonemuchto
transformhiscityintoawonderfulplace.Despitewhatwehavecometobelieve,carsarenot
inevitable.Citiesareoldinventions;for5,000years,allcitystreetswerepedestrian.Carshave
onlyinvadedourcitiesrecently,yetinthetotaltransformationtheyhavebroughtabout,we
haveforgottenour5,000yearhistoryoflivingwithoutthem.Thatis,introducingcarsinto
citiesoverthelastonehundredyearsisarecentandclearlyflawedexperiment.Wehave
notyetlearnedhowtocreatecitiesthataccommodatebothcarsandpeopleorhavewe?In
manycities,byaddressingtheproblemscausedbycarsandgivingpeopletoppriority,quality
oflifehasbeenrestoredtotheresidents.
Weneedtobelievethatwecanmakecitiesgoodplaces,whichinvolvesrememberingor
recognizingthepositiveattributesofcities.Relatedtothis,weshouldntallowtransportto
destroyourqualityoflife.Byfocusingsomuchofourenergyonensuringthatpeoplecanget
fromheretothere,weforgetabouttherestofourlives,thetimespentnotintransport.Ifwe
destroyourcitytoenablepeopletotravellongdistances,wenolongerhavedestinationsworth
arrivingat.Ourfocusshouldbeoncreatingagoodcity,wherepeoplecanaccessplacesand
thingsnearby;transportshouldserveourneeds,ratherthanbeingthefirstpriorityinurban
planning.

CitedinChan2005
Pealosa2002

2
3

WhilethispublicationfocusesmostlyonDhaka,theproblemsandpotentialsolutionsare
commontomanyothercitiesaroundtheworld.
EXISTINGCITIES
Bigcitiesarehometomanyinterrelatedproblems.Addressingsomekeyissueswillfacilitate
effortstoimprovemanyaspectsofcities,includingaspectsnotcoveredinthispublication.The
followinglist,ratherthanbeingcomprehensive,ismeanttobeillustrativeofproblemsofmany
citiescurrentlyproblemsoftenattherootofmanyotherurbancrises.
Frequenttrafficjamswastefuelandtime,maketraveldifficultandunpleasant,make
busserviceinefficient,andaddtonoiseandairpollution.Traveltimecanvarygreatly
fromdaytodayandatdifferenttimesoftheday,makingtripplanningextremely
difficult.
Veryfewchildren,disabled,orelderlypeoplecanbeseenmovingindependentlyinthe
streets.Thisleadstoaseriesofproblems:lackofindependenceandselfconfidencefor
theyoungandelderly;aburdenonthosewhomustescortthem;andlimitedabilityfor
vulnerablegroupstoaccesseducation,incomeearningopportunities,healthcare,and
recreation.
Peopleliveinfearofcrimeandaccidents.Peoplelivinginthesamebuildingrarely
knowtheirneighbors;socialisolationleadstounhappiness.Crimeincreaseswhen
peopledonotknoworinteractwiththeirneighbors,whenstreetsareemptyofpeople
(albeitfilledwithmotorizedvehicles),andwhenalienationpreventspeoplefrom
lookingoutforortakinganinterestinothers.Seriousaccidentsoccurasaresultofthe
weightandspeedofvehicles;whileitisalmostimpossibleforarickshaworcyclistto
killsomeone,afastmovingcarortruckcaneasilydoso.InDhaka,76%oftraffic
fatalitiesinvolveapedestrianbeinghitbyafueldependentvehicle.4Beyondtheactual
rateofcrimeandcrashes,fearrestrictspeoplesfreedomofmovement,andleadsto
anxietyanddepression.

Whilewalkingconstitutesamajormodeoftravel,pedestriansexperiencemany
obstacles,includedumpingofconstructionmaterialandparkingofcarsonfootpaths.
SincewalkingisthemainformoftravelinDhaka,thismeansthatallactivitiesthatrely

BangladeshMinistryofCommunication2004

onphysicalaccessarehampered,fromthebussystemtofactoryandother
occupationalproductivitytoeducationandhealthcare.
Peoplewhocycle,whethertosavemoney,becauseitisthequickestwaytogetaround,
orforotherreasons,dosoinveryunpleasantconditionsattheriskoftheirlives.
Peoplearedisturbeddayandnightbynoisepollution;thenoisedisruptschildrens
study,adultswork,andeveryonessleep,leadingtowhatmaybeasignificantdecline
inproductivity.5
Childrenhavelittleornoopportunitytoplayoutside,andfewifanyschoolshave
playgrounds,meaningthatchildrengrowupwithfewphysicallyactiverecreational
opportunitiesandfewchancestosocializewithotherchildrenorwithadults.Yet
physicalactivityisessentialforchildrensintellectualaswellasphysicalandsocial
development,6andinterpersonalskillsoftenlearnedonthestreetarecriticalfor
professionalsuccessandhappiness7.
Youthandadultshavefewopportunitiestoenjoyoutdoor,freerecreation,andmay
utilizeshoppingmallsasplacestomeetfriendsahighlyinefficientuseofmalls,and
anunsatisfactorysubstituteforpleasantoutdoorspaces.

Astheabovelistsuggests,andasaquickglancethroughournewspapersconfirms,trafficin
ourcitiesisamajorissueleadingtopoorqualityoflife,aswellasdisruptingcommerce,
education,andotheractivities.Inourattemptstodealwithtrafficissues,wehavesimply
madethemworse,andcreatedanunpleasantenvironmentaswell.
Thekeytotheproblemliesnotsimplyindesignorplanning,butinourpriorities.Themost
attractivepartsofEuropeancitiesaretheancientquarterswhichsprangupspontaneously,
withoutplanning.Planninghasbroughtwithittherangeofproblemslistedabove;planning
willonlysolveoururbanproblemsifwereconsiderourmostbasicconceptsaboutcities.At
thecoreoftheproblemisthefactthat,incities,wehavecometoprioritizemovementaboveall
else,andinprioritizingmovement,wehavecometoprioritizecarsoverallothertransport.
Thisisnottosaythattravelisnotimportantincities.Butwhendeterminingpriorities,itisnot
sufficientsimplytosaythatsomethingisnecessary.Afterall,manythingsarenecessaryinlife:
housing,jobs,education,healthcare,evenrecreation.Transportshouldonlybeoneaspectof

Dey,Kabir,andEfroymson2002
BangkokPost2007
7
Jacobs 1989, Goleman 1997
6

urbanlife,notthekeyone.YetfromdiscussionsofurbanproblemsinDhakanewspapers,one
wouldthinkthathousingforcarsismoreimportantthanhousingforpeople,andthatdaily
trafficjamsareabiggerproblemthanunemployment,lackofaccesstowater,andthe
malnutritionofroughlyhalfofchildren.

Fortunately,byrearrangingourprioritiesandlearningfrominternationalexperienceabout
traffic,wecanbothimproveotheraspectsoflifeandreduceourtrafficproblems.Hardto
believe?Considerhowmuchprogresswehavemadeinreducingtrafficcongestion,despiteall
theattentionandsizeablefundingtheproblemhasreceived.Internationalexperienceshows
thatbuildingmoreroadsencouragesmoredriving,andthuscreatesmoretrafficcongestion.
Byprioritizingqualityoflifeovertransport,anddiscouraginglongdistancetravel,wecould
reducetrafficjams,therebycreatingapositivecycleinwhichmorepeoplewalkingandusing
otherfuelfreetransportleadstoimprovementswhichinturnfurtherincreasesuchnon
pollutingmodesandtheoverallqualityoflife.Thesituationcouldthencontinuetoimprove,
insteadof,asatpresent,continuingtodeteriorate.
CITIESFORPEOPLE
Arecitiesbytheirnaturepolluted,unpleasantplacestolive?Orisitpossibletodesigncities
suchthatpeoplecanenjoymanyoftheiradvantageswithoutsufferingtothesamedegreeasat
presentfromtheirdownsides?
Thewidevarietyofcitiesaroundtheworlddemonstratesbothwhatoftengoeswrong,and
whatcangoright,withcities.Whileweneedtolearnfromthemistakesofcitiesthathave
becomeunpleasant,polluted,crimeridden,andisolatingplacestolive,andavoidtheir
mistakes,wealsoneedtolearnfromthecitiesthathavegottenthingsright.Citiesthathave
fewertrafficproblems,cleanerair,lessnoise,lesscrime,andmoreopportunitiesforoutdoor
socializingandrecreationsharecertainpointsincommon.Insuchcities,itisclearthatbasic
mobilityisaright,andcanbeensuredforallbyprovidinggoodconditionsforwalking,
cycling,andpublictransport.Insuchcities,plannersrealizethatcarsgivemobilitytothefew
inreturnfordestroyingitforthemany,andthusconflictwithurbanqualityoflife.
AsPealosasays,agoodcityisaplacewherepeoplecanwalkorridebicyclesandfeelsafe
doingit.Notjustsafe,butfindpleasureintheactivity.Ratherthanfeelingwearespendingor
wastingtimegettingaroundthecity,wecangetourexerciseandourrecreationwhile
transportingourselves.Insteadofsittingintraffic,movementbyfoot,cycleorrickshawcould
bepleasurableand,givencurrenttrafficconditions,movementwouldbelittleornoslower
thaniftravelingbycar.

Considerthatinadditiontotransport,peopleneedrecreationandsocializingnotjustwith
friendsandfamilyindoors,butoutdoors,wheretheycanwatchandsometimesinteractwith
strangers,thustighteningsocialconnectionswithinthecity.InDhaka,peoplegatheron
footpaths,atDhakaUniversitysTeacherStudentCenter(TSC),andinotheropenspaces,but
formany,thechiefgatheringplaceisinshoppingmalls.Theoutdoorenvironmentisnt
conducivetomeeting;almostnowhereareplacessetasideforpeople,andbufferedfromthe
noise,fumes,anddangerofmotorizedvehicles.YetaccordingtoPealosa,Whenashopping
mallreplacespublicspaceasameetingplaceforpeople,ittendstobeasymptomthatthecitys
ill.TherearealotofillcitiesintheUnitedStatesandallovertheworld.8

Inpleasant,livablecities,citiesforpeople,housingisdesignedforpeople,notcars;the
entrancetobuildingsisthroughdoors,notparkinglots,andthegroundfloorisusedforpeople
(viashops,cafs,andhousing),notparkedcars.Highdensityisnolongeradirtyword;the
streetsechowiththesoundsofpeople,butgonearethescreechingofhornsandtheroarof
engines.Placestakenbackfromcarsareconvertedintooutdoorplayspaces,markets,gardens,
andsmallparks.Furthertoreducingtheneedfortransport,somecitystreetscanbeturned
intobeaches,bydumpingsandonstreetsalongtheriverandencouragingtemporarycafs,as
isdoneincitiessuchasParisandBudapestinthesummer,givingbusycityworkerswithno
chancetotraveltothebeachthechancetohaveabeachholidayrightinthecity.
Inlivablecities,publictransportisthemainwaytotravellongdistances,whilebicyclesand
rickshawsarepreferred,alongwithwalking,forshorttomediumdistances.Walkingcan
becomesthemainformoftransport,withpedestrianshavingpriorityonthestreets,astheydo
insuchcitiesasGeneva,Zurich,andStockholm.Carswaitforpedestrians,notviceversa;cars
riseuptothelevelofthecrosswalk,ratherthanpedestriansinvadingthestreet.
Citiesaroundtheworldhaveintroducedpedestrianizedcenters,inpartorfull,including
Cartagena,Colombia;Guangzhou,China;Copenhagen,Denmark;Bologna,Italy;Lbeckand
Nuremburg,Germany;York,England;Budapest,Hungary;andGenevaandZurich,
Switzerland.Othercitiesandtownshavenocarsatall,includingVenice,ItalyandZermatt,
Switzerland.
Whathappenswhenstreetsbecomepedestrianized,banningallotherformsoftransportor
allowingonlybicycles?First,theybecomehugelypopular,withshopsandrestaurantsdoinga
roaringbusiness,aspeopleflocktotheirattractiveenvironments.Sidewalkcafsflourish,
childrenrunandplay,peoplegatheronstairwaysandbenches;humanityandcivilization
thrive.Suchareasquicklybecometheheartofthecity,themostpopularplacetobe.The
CitedinMcCall,Livinginacitywithoutcars

experimentinturningamaindowntownstreetinCopenhagen,Denmarkintoapedestrianarea
wassosuccessfulthatithasbeenrapidlyexpandedovertheyears,asneighboringbusiness
ownerspleadedtohavetheirareasalsopedestrianizedsotheycouldexperienceasimilarrise
inprofits.

Thus,andperhapscontrarytoexpectations,inhighincomecitiesaroundtheworld,walkingis
respected.Citygovernmentsconsciouslycreatequalitywalkingenvironments.Walkingisnt
justforthepoor;downtownbusinessworkers,governmentofficials,andshopownersallenjoy
theirpleasant,socialwalktoworkinbeautifulenvironments.Cars,notpedestrians,aretreated
asunwantedvisitors;ratherthanerectingcementblockadesandbarbedwirefencestoprevent
pedestriansfromenteringzonesmeantforcars,carsarekeptoutofareasthatallow
pedestriansthatis,peopletothrive.Marketscanspringup,vendorspeddletheirwares,
peoplestandaroundandtalk,andchildrenhavespacetorun,skip,laugh,andbechildren.
WHATNOTTODO

Beforegoingintofurtherdetailaboutwhatwecoulddotomakeourcitiesbetter,itisimportant
toconsiderwhatweshouldntdo.Thesepointswillsoundfamiliar,becausetheyareprecisely
whatishappeninginmanycitiesaroundtheworldtoday.Specifically,weshouldntbuild
moreroads,weshouldntaddmorecars,andweshouldntbanorhinderfuelfreetransport
(rickshaws,rickshawvans,andbicycles).
Whynot?Howarepeopletogetaroundwithoutabundantroadsandcars?Weveallheard
thatfuelfreetransportisslowandgetsinthewayofthoseneedingtotravelfarandfast.Cities
areaboutenergy,movement,andlife;theyshouldntbedesignedforthosewishingtomoveat
acrawl,protesttheplanners.
Butwhathappenswhenwewidenexistingroadsandbuildnewones?First,wehavetoknock
downmanydestinationstodoso.Intheprocess,peoplehavetotravelfarther,whichincreases
traveldemand,thuscancelingoutwhateverbenefitswegainedfrombuildingmoreroads.
Further,ascarscontinuetoincreasewithoutanycontrolsontheirnumber,theyoverwhelm
newroadsystemsjustastheydidoldones.Itisimpossibletokeeppaceinroadexpansionor
roadbuildingwithanuncontrolledincreaseofcars.Moreover,themorecarswehaveonthe
roads,thelesspleasantandsafeenvironmentthereisforothermodes;morepeoplearethus

motivatedtoswitchtodrivingratherthanwalkingorusingothernonpollutingmodes,and
againtrafficjamsincrease.
Althoughcarsandmotorbikespotentiallycanmovefasterthanfuelfreevehicles,theyalsotake
upfarmoreroadspace,andbothsizeandspeedarerelevantinconsideringcongestion.In
additiontothespacetheyoccupywhenmovingisthespacetheyoccupywhenparked.Since
averagetrafficspeedsinmanyAsiancitiesarenofasterthanwhatonecouldeasilyreachona
bicycle,speedisnoadvantageforfueldependentvehicles.Withacaroccupying2.5timesas
muchspaceasarickshaw9,itiscars,notfuelfreetransport,thatcreatetrafficjams.10
REDUCINGTRAFFICTHEEFFECTIVEWAY

Reductionoftrafficcongestionwoulddramaticallyimprovequalityoflifeandreducecosts.
Yetaroundtheworld,ithasbecomeclearthatbybuildingmoreroads,onesimplyattracts
moretraffic.
Experiencesuggeststhattraffictendstoexpandtofillavailableroadspace.Thisprocessalso
worksinreverse.Asroadspaceisreduced,trafficshrinkssotheoveralllevelofserviceis
roughlyunchanged.Thisprocessistermedtrafficevaporation.Oneofthemosteffectiveways
ofavoidingtrafficgrowthissimplynottoprovideforit.Furthertransferfromcartopublic
transportcanoccurifthelatterisallowedaccesstolargeareasdeniedtocartraffic.
Pedestrianisationalsoincreasestheretailturnoveroftowncentres,contrarytopopular
belief.11

Assomeoneoncesaid,Curingcongestionbybuildingmoreroadsislikecuringobesityby
buyingbiggerpants.Or,inthewordsofPealosa,Internationalexperiencehasmadeitclear
thattryingtosolvetrafficproblems[by]buildingmoreroadsisliketryingtoputoutafirewith
gasoline.12Thatis,theproblemscausedbycongestionarentsimplytrafficjams,butallthe
resultingnoise,vehiclefumes,andthespacethatcantbeputtobetteruse.Expandingour
roadsonlyworsensallthoseproblems.

STP2005
BariandEfroymsonDec.2005
11http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/Resources/Fact_Sheets/Key_Stage_4/Air_Pollution/29.html
12Pealosa2002.
9

10

Whatdoesworktodecreasetrafficjams,asshownincitiesthroughouttheworldwhichhave
experimentedbothwithincreasinganddecreasingroadspace?Strangeasitsounds,givingless
spacetocarsleadstolesscongestion.Theprocessoftrafficevaporationoccurs,inwhicha
reductioninroadspaceactuallyleadstoareductionintraffic.Withroadspaceforcars
declining,peoplerealizethatdrivingistheslowestandmostinconvenientwaytoget
somewhere,orthatothermodesaremoreconvenientandpleasant.Peoplethuschoosetogoto
closerratherthanfartherlocations,choosemorespacesavingmeansoftransport,andavoid
unnecessarytravel.Asaresult,trafficvolumedeclines,oftensignificantly.Forexample,a1998
studyinLondonoftheimpactofreducinghighwaycapacityatseverallocationsfoundthat
withintheareaswherecapacitywasreduced,trafficdeclinedfrom16%to25%.13

Trafficevaporationcanbeinducedfirstbynotbuildingmoreroadspaceorprovidinggreater
facilitiesforcars;thenbyconvertingsomeexistingroadspaceintoprovisionsforbicyclesand
rickshaws,byimprovingpublictransit,bywideningfootpathsandplantingmoretreesalong
roads.
Ofcourseifwewanttrafficjams,incessantnoise,andairthatisdifficulttobreathe,citiesof
cementwithoutproperdrainage,citieswithfewtreesorparks,wherechildrenhavenoplaceto
playoutdoorsandpeoplewithoutcarsfeeltheyareriskingtheirlivestogoanywhere,thenwe
shouldcontinuejustaswearedoing.Ifourgoalistocreateunpleasant,unlivable,polluted
citiesandtoincreasedeathsfromtrafficaccidents,pollution,andobesity,wecouldnothave
donebetterthantodesigncitiesaswehavebeendoing.
THEROLEOFURBANPLANNINGANDMIXEDUSEENVIRONMENTS
Traditionally,urbanplanningmandatesthatdifferentusesshouldallbeseparated
workplaces,homes,andcommercialareasallintheirown,separatezone.Whateverthe
intendedbenefitsofsuchasetup,therealityisthatsucharrangementsrequirepeopletotravel
more.Everymorning,aseaofpeopleleavetheirresidentialarea,andeveryevening,they
returnenmasse,whileduringtheday,womenandchildrenareabandonedthere,oftentrapped
intheirhomesduetothelackofpleasantoutdoorenvironments.Thesurgeofmovement
naturallyleadstotrafficcongestion;gettingtorequireddestinationsrequiresbothtimeand
money.
Wouldntitbemoreefficienttomovethingscloser,ratherthanforcepeopletotravelfarther?
Inamixedusearea,theflowofpeoplewouldbeindifferentdirections,notmostlyinandout
ofcertainareas.Inaddition,withpeopletravelingshorterdistances,theywouldbemovingfor

http://www.ealingfoe.org.uk/papersitems/TramDispTraffic.html

13

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lesstime,andthusoccupyingroadorfootpathspaceforlesstime.Asaresult,therewouldbe
lesscongestion.Sincedifferentgroupsofpeoplekeepdifferentschedules,areaswouldbe
livelyatalltimesofthedayandevening;residentialareaswouldnotemptyout,atleastof
men,duringtheday;otherzoneswouldnotbeemptyatnight.Asaresult,crimewould
decrease,asallpartsofthecityremainedlivelybutduetoreducedcartrafficlessnoisythan
currently.
Thefocuscouldthenbeonaccess,notmobility.Ratherthanconcentratingonhowtomove
peopleaboutamongthevariouszones,wecouldfocusonensuringthateverypartofthecity
containsahealthymixofuses.Ifpeoplecanaccesswhattheyneedworkplace,school,shops,
healthcare,restaurants,recreationalvenueswithinashortdistanceoftheirresidence,then
manyoftheproblemswetakeforgrantedincitieswillbegreatlyreduced.Thismeansthat
importantfacilitiesmustbeavailableinallpartsofthecity,notconcentratedincertainzones.
Whenmosthealthandeducationalfacilitiesarelocatedinonepartoftown,mostofficesin
another,andresidentialareasinotherareas,travelisaninevitablepartoflife,andvarious
partsofthecityaresubjecttoperiodicheavymovementsofpeople.Theabilitytoaccessmuch
ofwhatoneneedswithinashortdistancegreatlyreducestheneedtotravel,andthustheneed
toprovideinfrastructure(roadsandvehicles)forpeopletomoveabout.
Ourtrafficproblemscanneverbereducedwithoutreducingtheneedfortravel,butbeyond
that,ourqualityoflifedependsgreatlyonreducedtravelandincreasedconveniencea
conveniencethatcanonlyoccurwhenmoreofwhatweneedbecomesavailablewithinwalking
distance.Andletusalwaysrememberthatpeopleneednotonlyjobs,schools,healthcareand
homes,butalsorecreation,thechancetositoutdoorsandwatchandinteractwithothers.

Whatifweweretosetoutbuildingthekindofenvironmentthatencouragesfuelfreetransport
andfriendliness?Whatwouldatypicalbuildinginourmixeduseneighborhoodcontain?Of
coursepollutingfactorieswouldberelegatedtotheoutskirts,ifallowedatall,butotherwisea
mixofuseswouldbeencouraged.Inatypicalbuilding,thebasement,formerlyallocatedtocar
parking,couldbecomeastoragearea,cinema,orcommonTVroom.Onthegroundfloor,
easilyaccessibletopassersby,therewouldbeshops.Ontheremainingfloorswouldbeamix
ofhousing,offices,school,library,healthcareservices,banks,andsoon.Rooftops,decorated
withfragrantplants,wouldhousecafsandrestaurants.Thisisalreadythecaseinmany
lovelycitiessuchasCopenhagen,andtosomeextentinpartsofmanyAsiancitiesaswell.

11


WhathappensincitiesthatgetitrightplacesliketheolderpartsofEuropeancities,ornew
areasdesignedonprinciplesofsupportingandencouraginghumaninteraction?
Neighborhoodsareagainfriendly;peopleknownotonlytheotherresidentsoftheirbuilding,
butothersontheirstreet,aswell.Therearequalityoutdoorsocialspaces,wherepeoplecan
socializeforfree,meetingandinteractingwithorsimplyobservingmanykindsofpeople.
Themixingofdifferentpeopleincitiesisabsolutelyessentialforthekindofunderstanding,
tolerance,andharmonythatallowsalargenumberofpeopletocoexistinasmallspace.In
termsoftrafficpriority,pedestrians,thedisabled,bicycles,rickshaws,andpublictransitgain
priority,inthatorder;carscomelast.Afteraccommodatingallothermodesandpeople,if
spaceisleftforcars,sobeit;ifnospaceremains,thencardriversmustlearntogetaroundthe
waythemajoritydoes.Afterall,theywillhavelittlereasontocomplain,sinceallthe
advantagesofafriendly,healthyenvironmentwillaccruetoeveryone.Owningacarisa
privilege,notaright;whenthecarisseenasadeadlyweapon,killinghumanandanimallife
anddestroyingtheenvironment,itiseasytoseewhytheycannotalwaysbetolerated,
especiallyinthehighdensityenvironmentofcities.

Incitiesthatgetitright,thereislessneedfortravel.Afterall,reducingtraveldemandisreally
theonlywaytoreducetrafficcongestion;fewerpeopletryingtotravellongdistances
automaticallyresultsinlesscongestion,withouthavingtobuildanything.Peopleshouldbe
encouragedtoliveclosetoworkandschool,asthefirstmajorstepinreducingtrafficjams.To
accomplishthis,work,shopping,recreationandhousingareincloseproximity,mixedtogether
ineachneighborhood.Urbanplanningincludesplanningforrecreation,wherepeopleofall
classesmixfreelyoutdoors,inpublicplazas,courtyards,parks,andattractiveriversides.Small

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anddeadendstreetscanbeconvertedintoplaygrounds,forseveralhoursaweekor
permanently,allowingchildrentoplayliterallyintheirfrontyard(thestreet),andothersto
relaxonthequietsafefootpathsinfrontoftheirhomes.
Whyistheformatofthecitysoimportant,intermsofcreatingafriendlyandlesspolluted
environment?Becausehowwebehavetowardsothers,whatformoftransportweuse,how
sociableandhappyweare,alldependonourenvironment.Peopleliketosaythat
Bangladeshisdontliketowalk,buttheactualquestionis,howencouragingisour
environmentforwalking?Peoplenaturallydontwanttowalkwhenthefootpathsarebroken
orblockedbyparkedcars,whenthereisnothinginterestingtolookatasonewalks,whenthe
streetsarenearlyimpossibletocross,andwhenoneisconstantlysubjectedtotheblaringof
hornsandthefumesoffueldependentvehicles.Onlywhenpeoplehaveagoodenvironment
inwhichtodoso,doeswalkingbecomepleasurable.Thesamegoesforoutdoorsocializing:
Bangladeshisareobviouslyanextremelyfriendlypeople,willingtobraveunpleasant
environmentsinordertosocializeoutdoors.Thefewplacesthatarepleasantforpublic
gatherings,likeDhanmondilake,arepackedwithpeople.Obviouslythereisalarge,unmet
needforqualityoutdoorenvironmentsforrecreation;bymeetingthoseneeds,urbanlifewill
improvedramatically.
GETTINGFROMHERETOTHERECHANGINGOURPRIORITIES
Improvingourcitieswillnotbepossiblethroughpiecemealmeasures.Rather,anentire
reorientationinourthinkingandprioritiesisessential.Weneedtorealizewhatwehavebeen
treatingasourhighestpriority,andwhetherachangeinprioritymightresultinsignificant
benefitsineconomy,health,environment,equity,andlivability.
Prioritizingchildren,notcars

Thereisnoquestionthattransportisimportant.Peopleneedtoaccessvariousdestinations.
Evenwhenmostdestinationsarecloseenoughtobeaccessiblebyfoot,decentsituationsfor
walkingareneeded,andsomeinfrastructurewillberequiredforoccasionallongerdistance
trips.
Butthequestionis,whatareourcurrentpriorities,andwhatshouldtheybe?Afterall,one
cannotprioritizeeverything.Thatis,weoftenmustmakedifficultchoices.Takethedemand
forelectricity.Ifweprioritizethesupplyofsufficientelectricitytomeeteveryoneswishes,we
willnotbeabletoprioritizeconcernfortheenvironmentor,insomecases,fortherightsof
indigenousgroupswhohappentoliveonornearmineralresources.Somedemandsare
necessarilyinconflictwithothers.Individualsfacetheseproblemsonadailylevel:Dowe
relaxinfrontoftheTVorhelpourchildwithhomework?Dowestaylateatworkorgovisita

13

sickrelative?Suchchoicesarenotalwayseasy,buttryingtodenythatwearemakingthemis
notasolution.Rather,weshouldbehonestaboutthechoiceswemaking,andattemptto
choosewisely.
Facilitating childrens play: cycling in Dhanmondi

Every Thursday and Saturday afternoon, for just two hours in the afternoon, a street in
Dhanmondi fills with happy children. Some are learning to cycle; others are already expert, and
enjoy going up and down the street with their new friends. They benefit in many waysa
chance to exercise, to make new friends, to interact with people of different ages and income
groups, and to learn and practice a new skill. Adults enjoy watching the children, and perhaps
reminiscing about their own childhood play. The street begins to feel like a human place.
What is common among all the children is that this is their only opportunity to cycle relatively
safely, and to play outdoors with other children. By closing off one side of the street with a
temporary barrier, children are given the opportunity to cycle, while cars can still easily pass.
Many other organizations have begun similar programs, though generally on fields, not streets.
The popularity of these programs, and the rarity of them, indicates our misplaced priorities and
the need to expand childrens outdoor play opportunities.
Ifaskedwhetherweconsidercarsorchildrenmoreimportant,mostpeoplewouldeithersayit
isaridiculousquestion,orreplythatofcoursechildrenaremoreimportant.Yetwhenwe
considerthedecisionswemakeinourinvestmentsandotherareas,ourprioritiesappearless
clear.Howdoourbudgetsforbuildingroadsandflyoverscomparetoourbudgetsfor
enhancingvariousaspectsofchildrensphysicalandemotionalwellbeing?Dowethinkthat
childrenshouldplayoutdoors,orthatcarsshouldmoveinthestreetsatwhateverspeedtheir
driverschoose?Dowebelieveinpreservingparksforchildrensplay,ordoweallowthemto
becomeparkinglots?
Sowhileitiscertainlytruethattransportisimportant,wemustquestionwhethermeeting
peoplesunlimiteddesireforendlesstransport,andforpossessionanduseofprivatecars,is
moreimportantthanvariousbasicrightsofchildren.Forinstance,istherightofchildrento
studyinschoolwithoutinterruptionmoreorlessimportantthantherightofadrivertohonk
infrontofaschool?Whataboutababysrighttosleepversusadriversrighttohonkinfront
ofthegateofanapartment?Whatabouttherightofachildtocrossastreet,orrideabike,
versustherightofadrivertospeed?
Wehave,unconsciously,allowedourconcernformobility,andbeyondthat,fortherightsof
peopletoowncarsandusethemwhere,how,andwhenevertheywish,totakeprecedence
overtherightsofchildrentoaquietenvironment,independentmobility,andrecreation.Itis
timetoquestionthoseprioritiesandconsiderwhetherareorderingisnotinorder.
Whatwouldbesomeofthequalitiesofacitythatprioritizedchildren,notcars?First,strict
andverylowspeedlimitswouldbeestablishedinresidentialareas(thatis,areaswitha

14

mediumtohighconcentrationofhomes,nomatterwhatotherservicesarealsopresent),sothat
childrencouldmoveaboutandplayfreelywithoutfearoftrafficdanger.Second,theuseof
openspaces(fields,parks,emptylots)wouldbesetasideforchildrensplayratherthanvehicle
parking.Third,therewouldbestrictlyenforcedbansthroughoutthecityonhonkingofhorns
exceptinemergencies,asisthecaseincrowdedcitiessuchasNewYorkCityandHongKong.
Fourth,streetswouldbeclosedtovehiculartrafficatdifferenttimesofthedayordaysofthe
weektoallowchildrenoutdoorplayopportunitiesneartheirhomes.Finally,therewouldbe
permanentpedestrianareasinmajorshoppingandrecreationalareastoallowchildrenthe
opportunitytomoveaboutfreelyandwithoutdanger,andtoencouragefamilyrecreation.
Livableenvironments,notjusttransport

Ironically,inthecourseoftryingtomakeeverypartofourcitiesaccessible,wedestroythe
qualityoftheveryplacesthatpeopleseektoaccess.Whileitmaybeconvenienttobeableto
driverightuptoonesdoor,thequalityoflifeofpeoplewithinanapartmentbuildingis
seriouslyharmedwhendriversfrequentlyhonk,andwhenthemovementofcarsmakesit
unsafeorinconvenientforpeopleespeciallybutnotonlychildrenandtheelderlytomove
aboutonthestreetsandeventhefootpaths.
Intelligent,thoughtfulcityplanningseekstopreservethevalueofdifferentpartsofthecity.It
isfarbettertowalkashortdistanceinordertoreachanattractiveenvironmentthantobeable
todriverightuptoaplacethatisnotworthvisiting.Thisistrueofarangeofdestinations.
Homes,schools,healthcarefacilities,andrecreationalfacilitiesshouldalloffersafetyfrom
trafficaswellasfreedomfromtrafficnoise.Thisisonlypossiblewhenwefocusoncreating
livableenvironments,notonmakingallplacesaccessibletocars.
Prioritizingshortdistancetravel
Giventhattransportisnotonlyakeypartofcities,butachiefsourceofproblems,transport
andrelatedissuesmustbeafocusinurbandesign.Butinordertoaddresstheissues,onemust
firstaskoneselfthequestion:whatisthepointoftransport?Mosttravelisnotanendinitself,
butratherameanstoanend:beinginoneplace,andwishingorneedingtodooraccess
somethingsomewhereelse.Obviousasthisstatementseems,itisoftenignoredbytravel
planners,whofocusonmovingpeopleabout,withoutaskingwhetherallthistravelis
necessaryorcouldpossiblybereduced.Thatis,ifpeoplecouldattainwhattheyneedby

15

travelingshortdistancesinsteadoflongones,thentraveldemandcouldbereduced.This
wouldalsobeafarmoreefficientwaytoaddresstravelneedsthanbycreatinginfrastructureto
helplargenumbersofpeopleregularlymovegreatdistanceswhileignoringtheneedof
otherstotravelshortdistances.
Therearemanyadvantagestoshortdistanceoverlongdistancetrips.Theyrequirelessorno
fuel.Theycanbemadewhilecreatinglittleornonoiseandairpollution.Theytakelesstime.
Theycostless.Sincetheycaneasilybemadebyfootorbicycle,theycaninvolveexerciseand
recreation.Andtheymakefarfewerdemandsoninfrastructure,e.g.requirefewerroadsand
vehicles.
When,onthecontrary,itiseasiertotravellongdistancesthanshortones,peoplewillnaturally
choosetolivefarfromjobs,schools,andotheramenities,ortochoosethoseamenitieswhich
arefarfromtheirhome.If,forinstance,itiseasiertotravelacrosstownthanacrossthestreet,
peoplewillhavenoincentivetomeetmostoftheirneedscloseby.Themorepeopletravellong
distances,themoretrafficjamstherewillbe,regardlessofhowmuchroadspacewebuild.On
thecontrary,ifpeoplecantravelashortdistancemoreeasilyandcomfortablythanalongone,
thentheywillhaveincentivetoarrangetheirlivesclosetotheirresidences,andtrafficjamswill
decline.

Asaresult,notonlywillpeopleslivesimproveduetolesstimewastedintraffic,butmany
othermeasureswillimproveaswell.Withmorerelianceonshortdistancetravel,fueluseand
airandnoisepollutionwilldecline;neededserviceswillbemoreaccessibleatlesscostinterms
ofbothmoneyandtime;recreationalopportunitieswillincrease,aslessspaceisdevotedto
vehiclesandmoretopeoplesneeds;theenvironmentwillimproveandthecitybecomemore
beautifulasplantingoftreesandmaintenanceofgreenspacestakesprecedenceoverbuilding
ofroads,flyovers,andparkinglots;crimewilldecreaseasmorepeopleareonthefootpaths
andmovingslowlythroughthestreets,andasneighborscometoknoweachotherastheymix
intheirslowermovementsclosertohome;anddangerousandfatalaccidentswilldeclinedue
toashifttolighterandslowermovingvehicles.
CONCRETEACTIONS
Fortunately,Dhakaandmanyothercitiesalreadyhavemanyoftheaspectsofalivablecity,
difficultthoughitcanbetoappreciatethefactgivenalltheirproblems.Forinstance,Dhaka
consistsmostlyofmixedareas;itisnotuncommontohaveshopsonthegroundfloorand
apartmentsabove.Inmostpartsofthecity,basicnecessitiesexistwithinwalkingdistanceof
residences,thoughitmaynotbeeasyorpossibletowalksafelytoaccessthosenecessities.
Largerinfrastructuralproblemsdoexist,suchastheheavyconcentrationofuniversitiesand

16

hospitalsinDhanmondi,orthelackofresidencesandshoppinginMotijheel,butoverall,the
cityhasthebasicstructureneededforqualityurbanlife:highdensity,mixedareas,andspace
devotedtopeople,notcars.
InordertoimproveDhaka,sothattheadvantagescanbefurtherenjoyedbyitsinhabitants,
variousstepsshouldbetaken;thesamestepsareneededtopreventsmallercitiesfrom
sufferingfromthesameproblemsasDhaka.
Transportplanning
Asthesuccessfulexperimentsintrafficevaporationindicate,notallcitieshavefollowedthe
pathofbuildingevermoreroads.Somehavedeliberatelydecreasedroadspaceforcarsand
expandedspaceandfacilitiesforothertransport,andforthequalitiesthatmakecitieslivable:
greenspace,trees,publicplaceswherepeoplecanmeet.

Variousactionsareneededtoreducerelianceontheprivatecar.Asthenumberofcarsonthe
streetsofDhakamultiply,sodotheproblemsassociatedwiththeiruse,butstrongmeasures
couldgreatlyreducetheuseofcars,andthustheproblemstheycause.Suchmeasuresinclude
institutinghighfeesforparkingtoreflecttheactualvalueofthespaceused;highertaxesonthe
importofcarsandspareparts;limitsonthenumberoflicensesissued(asystemsuchas
Singaporehascouldbeuseful,inwhichpotentialownersmustbidforlicenses,payingfeesof
about$50,000inordertoobtainpermissiontobuyacar);andanendtofuelsubsidies.
Simultaneouslywithreducingrelianceoncars,theuseoffuelfreetransportmustbepromoted
andencouragedinvariousways.Thiscanbedonethroughcreatingsafe,pleasantconditions
forcyclingandwalking.Thiswouldincludeestablishingacontinuoussystemofbikelanesor
routesthroughoutthecitysothatallareascanbereachedsafelyandeasilybybicycle;making
footpathswider;allowingvendorstosellonfootpathsbutwithinalimitedamountofspace;
takingseriousactiontopreventblockageoffootpathsbycarparkinganddumpingof
constructionwaste;plantingmoretreesalongfootpathsandstreets;andestablishingmore
signalsforsafestreetlevelcrossings(asitisdifficultandtimeconsumingforpedestriansto
climboverbridges,andsuchbridgeshamperthemovementoftheelderlyandthedisabled).In
addition,pedestrianspreferquieterandsaferstreets,sorestrictionsoncarsarebynaturepro
pedestrianmeasures.

17


RickshawscontinuetobeafavoredmodeoftransportforDhakadwellers(andaregainingin
popularityinternationally),despitebansontheminmanystreets,andthesubsequentincrease
intimeandrickshawfare.Rickshawsinfactplayaninvaluableroleinurbanaswellasrural
transport,movingbothpeopleandgoodswithouttheuseoffuel,withoutharmingthe
environment,andwhileprovidingmuchneededjobstothemostvulnerable.Rickshaws
shouldbeallowedonallstreets,withlanesofsufficientwidthtoallowrickshawstomove
easilythroughoutthecity,complementingtheinfrastructureforwalkingandcycling.
Whiletheemphasisisonshortdistancetravel,longdistancetravelcannotofcoursebeavoided
entirely.Whereverpossible,suchtravelshouldoccurbypublictransportratherthanprivate
car,sincepublictransportisfarmoreefficientintermsofroadspaceandfueluse.Theleast
expensiveformofmodernpublictransitisBusRapidTransit(BRT),whichhasbeenestablished
inmanycities.ShortofanentireBRTsystem,busprioritymeasurescouldbeinstituted,aswell
asqualitycontrolforexistingbusservices.Measurestoimprovebusescouldinclude
eliminatingincentivestospeedbypayingbusdriversbytheday,notbythenumberoftrips
theymake,andprovidingsheltersforbuspassengers.Streetlevellightrailthatis,atram
systemwouldbeanotherreasonablyaffordablewaytoimprovepublictransit.Tramsare
oftenlessintrusiveandsaferthanbuses,andoftenfarmorepopularamongpotential
passengers.Sincepeoplemustbeabletotraveltoandfrombusstops,appropriate
infrastructureforwalkingandrickshawswillfurtherenhancepublictransit.Aswithwalking,
buseswillbenefitfromcarcontrol,asthebiggestproblemwithbustravelisthecloggingofthe
roadsbyprivatecars.Infact,withnootherimprovementinbusservice,simplyincreasingits
frequencyandreducingtimespentstuckintrafficjamswouldmeanamajorimprovement.
(Interestingly,experienceinDhakahasshownthatbanningrickshawsfailedtoincreasetraffic
speed;unfortunately,nosimilarexperimenthasoccurredintermsofcarcontrol.)
Reducingcars
Itisdifficulttoimagineanentirecitywithoutcars.TheclosestwehaveisVenice,Italy,which,
notcoincidentally,isalsothemostpopularcityintheworldfortourists.Althoughitwouldbe
difficulttomakeothercitiesentirelycarfree,itmaybeausefulmentalexercisetoconsiderthe
advantagesofacitywithoutcars,wheretransportismainlybyfoot,bicycle,andrickshaw,
supportedbyatramsystemonmajorroads.Theadvantageswouldincludegreatlyreduced
noiseandairpollution;greatlyreduceduseoffuel;farlowertravelexpenses;noneedtouse
spaceandspendmoneycreatingfacilitiesforparkedcars;farfewerandfarlessdangerous
accidents;farlesscrimeandmoresocialsecurity;andpleasant,livablestreetsandalively,
socialatmospherethroughoutthecity.

18

Withoutcarsonthestreet,butwithplentyofpeoplemovingaboutslowly,childrencould
regaintheirindependentmobility,andwalkorbiketoschool.Thiswouldgreatlyenhance
theirsenseofindependence,givethemmuchneededphysicalactivityandrecreation,andfree
upthetimeoftheirparentswhonormallyserveastheirchauffeurs.Theelderlyandthosewith
disabilitieswouldsimilarlybenefit.Childrenwouldalsoagainbeabletoplayonfootpathsand
evenonsmallstreets.Withoutcarsblockingparksandfields,thosetoowouldbeusablefor
recreationalpurposesforpeopleofallages.
Withothersalsotravelingmainlybyfoot,bicycle,andrickshaw,peoplewouldgetmore
exerciseandactuallyenjoymovingaboutthecityratherthandreadingit.Nomorespace
wastedforcarparkingwouldmeanfarmorespaceavailableformovement;parkingofbicycles
andrickshawsrequiresminimalspace.Trafficjamswoulddecrease,asthemostinefficient
modewouldberemoved.Speedoftravelwouldbelessofaconcernoncetravelbecame
pleasant.Publictransitservicewouldvastlyimprove,andsincetraveltimewouldbe
predictable,tripplanningwouldnotrequirelargecushionsoftimethatis,whiletripsmight
overalltakemoretime,sincepeoplecouldallocatejusttherightamount,andwouldnotbe
stuckintrafficjams,theywouldnotwasteasmuchtimeaspreviously.Sincepeoplewouldbe
movingslowerandmoregraduallyvialightervehicles,notonlywouldtherebefewerandless
dangerousaccidents,butpeoplewouldhaveanopportunitytomixonthestreets,neighbors
wouldgettoknoweachother,andthecitywouldhavealively,friendlyfeel.Lifemightslow
downalittlenotmuch,giventheslowspeedofmostvehiclesoncurrentcitystreetsbutthe
rewardswouldbeimmenseintermsofreducedpollution,greatersafety,lowertravelcosts,
andafriendlierenvironment.
Addressingcarparking14

Itiscommonlyreportedinnewspapersthatthemainreasonthatcarspresentsuchaproblem
inDhakaisnottheirexcessivenumbers,orthattheyareaninappropriatesolutiontotransport
problemsinacityof12millionoccupants,butrather,thelackofsufficientparkingfacilities.
Thecommonargumentaboutparkingsuggeststhatthereasonthatparkedcarsoccupyso
muchspaceonourfootpathsandroadsisthatdevelopershavenotprovidedsufficientparking
spacesunderorattachedtobuildings.Ifonlysufficientspaceswereavailableforparking,then
parkingwouldnolongerbeaproblem.
Thereareafewmainproblemswiththisargument,whichignoressomekeyrealities:
Parkingisnotfree.Thelandusedforparkinghasvalue,bothintermsofactualand
opportunitycost;thatis,notonlyislandinDhakaveryexpensive,butlandusedfor
14

This section draws heavily on Shoup 2005

19

parkingislandnotusedformoreeconomicallyproductiveactivities.Inaddition,
undergroundparkingisexpensivetobuildandmaintain,andasundergroundparking
isgenerallyfreeorextremelyinexpensiveforthedriver,thecostofcarparkingis
subsidizedbyotherusersofthebuildings,eveniftheytravelbyothermodes.This
representsaninequitable,hiddensubsidytocarusers,encouragingcarusewhile
punishingthoseusingmoreefficient,environmentallyfriendlymodes.
Therewillneverbeenoughparking.Aslongascarusecontinuestogrowunchecked,so
willthedemandforparking.Howevermuchspaceisgrantedforparkinginitially,it
willeitherbesoexcessiveastobeawasteforalongperiodbecauseitismainlyempty,
orwillsoonproveinadequate,therebyreturningtotheoriginalsituationofcarsparked
onfootpathsandstreets.
Carparkingencouragescaruse.Whenitisfreeorveryinexpensivetopark,peoplehave
incentivetodriveevenshortdistances,andtoparkformanyhours.Ascaruseis
encouraged,sothedemandforcarparkinggrows,ademandthatwillneverbe
satisfied.Onthecontrary,ifparkingislimitedandexpensive,peoplehaveincentiveto
useother,lessspaceoccupyingmodes,andexistingparkingspacesbecomesufficient.
Inaddition,therightofsomeonetoparktheirvehiclewherevertheywishshouldnot
interferewiththerightsofotherstowalkonafootpath,ortomoveaboutonthestreets.
Nobodywouldbeallowedtostoreabed,orplaceadeskandchair,inthestreet,fortheir
convenienceforsleepingorworking,yetcarsalsoprivatepropertyarestoredinpublic
spacewithoutcosttotheowner.Suchasystemsimplyrepresentsanunfairadvantagetothose
alreadyprivilegedinmanyotherways.
Reducing car parking and increasing quality of life:
15
learning from Copenhagen

In Copenhagens city center, over a period of twenty years, car parking was reduced each year by 2-3%.
One might expect that the result was fewer people coming to the city, since parking was not available
and rates of car ownership are obviously far higher in Copenhagen than in Dhaka.
On the contrary, rather than a decline, there was a slight increase in the number of people coming into
the center of the city. The main means for arriving in the city center is public transport (45%). While 17%
of people arrive by car and just 1% by taxi, 19% arrive by bicycle and 14% on foot. Once in the city
center, the numbers are even more surprising: only 5% travel by bus and 4% by car or taxi, but 14%
move about on bicycle and a full 80% on foot.

15

Gehl and Gemze 2004

20

As Gehl and Gemze explain, The number of parking places has been reduced, and it is harder to come
into the city center by car. In contrast, there is now more reason to come, as the city center has been
made much more attractive.
How have Danes responded to the changes? While 30% of people interviewed said that the biggest
problem in the city is cars and traffic pollution, only 4% said that lack of parking spaces is a problem.
Meanwhile, land formerly used for the movement of cars is now reclaimed as attractiveand exceedingly
popularpublic space. In fact, some of the pre photographs of Copenhagen, before some streets and
many squares were turned back over to people, bear a strong resemblance to the current situation in
Asian cities.

Theproblemwithparking,then,isnotthattherearenotenoughspacesforparking,butthat
thespacesarefreeorunderpriced.Ifcarparkingischargedbythetimethecarisparked(in
15minute,30minute,or60minuteintervals,dependingonthelevelofdemand),thendrivers
willparkforlesstime,andthosewantingtoparkalldaywillbelikelytoswitchtoothermodes
oftravel.Oneparkingspacethatformerlywasusedbyonecarforeighthourswillnowbe
availableforeightormorecarsduringtheday;withoutincreasingthenumberofparking
spaces,thenumberofcarsaccommodatedwillincreaseeightfoldormore.Thisistheonly
efficient,effectivewaytodealwiththeproblemofparking.Ideally,feescollectedforparking
willbesplitbetweenthecostsofcollectingthefeesandforimprovingalternatetransport:
creatingbusprioritylanes,wideningfootpaths,buildingcycleorrickshawlanes,andsoon.

Ratherthaninsistingonacertainnumberofparkingspacesforbuildings,themaximumnumber
ofspacesallowedshouldbestated,asisdoneinSanFranciscoandmanyEuropeancities.
Providingfreeorlowcostfacilitiesforparkingsimplyencouragesuseofprivatecars,which
furtherincreasestrafficjamsandtheotherproblemscausedbycaruse.Onthecontrary,when
driversmustpaythefullmarketcostofparking,theywillquicklyturntoothertransport,
whichwillbenefiteveryoneandimproveurbanlife.
Improvingconditionsforpedestrians

21

Walkingisaboutalotmorethangettingfromheretothere.Ideally,walkingshouldbea
celebrationofonescity.Bymovingslowly,oneisabletoobservefarmorethanifonemoved
byfastermeans.Itisonfootthatonecanreallyexperiencethecity,exploreitsneighborhoods,
andinteractwiththevarietyofpeoplemovingaboutinthestreets.
Improvingconditionsforwalking,inturn,isaboutfarmorethanremovingobstacles,though
doingsoisofcourseofgreatimportance.Afterensuringthatfootpathsarefreeofparkedcars
andconstructionwaste,andthatitissafeandeasytocrossthestreets,farmorecanbedoneto
enhancewalking.

Walkingisfarmorepleasantinhotandrainyclimateswhenthereissheltersuchastreesand
awningsavailabletoprotectpedestriansfromthesunandrain.Benchesallowfor
opportunitiestorestandsocialize,andareparticularlyimportantfortheelderly.Foryounger
people,informalseating,suchaslowwalls,steps,andevenstatuesarewelcomebreaksfrom
walking,andinvitingplacestostopandchatwithfriends.
Thestreetalongwhichoneiswalkingalsocanhaveasignificanteffectonpeopleswillingness
towalk.Walkingalongabusystreetwithimpatientdriversblaringtheirhorns,andthesmell
ofexhaust,isfarfrompleasant,eveniftherearetreesandawnings.Bicycleandrickshawlanes
canhelpserveasbarriersbetweenabusystreetandthefootpath,butitisalsohelpfulto
considercarcontrolthroughoutthecityasawayofimprovingthesituationforpedestrians,in
termsofsafety,comfort,andoverallwalkabilityofacity.

Streetartprovidesinterestandstimulationtopedestrians.Streetartneedntbeexpensiveor
elaborate.Arches,smallbridges,interestingarchitecturaldetailssuchaselaboratedoor
knockers,woodwork,colorfulpaintingonbuildingsorwalls,andsoon,allprovideinterestto
pedestrians,anddetailsthatwouldotherwisebemissedifmovingfaster.Vendorsthemselves

22

formasortofstreetartwhensellingpottery,flowers,andotherproductsthatareattractiveto
lookat.
Walkinginvolveseffort,andpeopleneedincentivestowalk.Inadditiontosomedegreeof
comfort,stimulation,andinterest,theyalsoneedasensationofsafetyandsecurity.The
presenceofvendorsonfootpathscanprovidebothsafetyandinteresttopedestrians,
encouragingpeopletowalk.Ofcoursethespacevendorsoccupyshouldbelimitedtoensure
thatthereisadequatespaceforpedestrians,butonwiderfootpaths,andinareaswherethereis
unusedspacebetweenthefootpathandadjacentbuildings,thereisnoreasontobanvendors,
andmanyreasonstoallowthemtocontinue.

Thepresenceofpeopleonthefootpathsthroughoutthedayandeveningenhancesecurityand
safetyeyesonthestreetbeingthebestformofsafety(crimetendstohappeninisolatedor
unpopulatedareas).Lowincomeanddisadvantagedgroupshaveaccesstoasteadyformof
financialsupport.Goodsotherwiseonlyavailableathighercostareavailablecheaplyand
conveniently.Muchshoppingcanbedoneclosetohomeoroffice,reducingtheneedtotravel
tootherlocationstoshop.Itemsnototherwiseavailable,suchascertainhealthylocalor
traditionalfoods,areavailablethatotherwisecannotbefoundinfastfoodoutletsorother
restaurants.
ItisinterestingtonotethatindifferentpartsofDhaka,afootpathwithnovendorsisoften
unused,whileafootpathontheothersideofthestreet,whichhasvendors,alsohasmany
pedestrians.Ofcourseanotherreasonforthisphenomenonisthatwiththedisappearanceof
vendors,footpathseasilyareconvertedintourinals,makingthemunusableforotherpurposes.
FollowingtheevictionofvendorsfrommanyfootpathsinDhaka,peoplecontinuewalkingin
thestreet,andsomeareasarenolongersafeintheeveninghours.
Itisthusimportanttoensureadequateconditionsandproperlicensingforvendors,sothat
theycancarryontheiractivitieswithoutfearofevictionorthenecessityofpayingbribes,and
sothatpedestriansandotherscancontinuetobenefitfromtheirpresence.
Thegreateststimulationofallforpedestriansmay,intheend,beotherpedestrians.People
enjoybeinginlivelyplaces.Whateverattractspeopletobothwalkandstop(sit,stand,lean
againstawall,drinktea,chatwithafriend)canserveasanattractionforotherpedestrians.
Thepresenceofmanyotherpeoplealsoensuressafety,therebyfurtherattractingpeople.
Intheend,thesimplesttestofwhetheranenvironmentisconducivetopedestriansistosee
howmanypeoplearewalkingthere.ObservationsinDhakaandothercitiesmakeitclearthat
pedestriansseekfarmorethanlong,straight,smooth,unobstructedfootpaths.Thecomplete
lackofobstruction,infact,canserveasadeterrentinitself,iftheabsenceofpeopleindicates

23

theabsenceofsecurity.Safety,comfort,stimulationandinterestareallvital,andallwill
contributetoencouragingpeopletoengageinhealthy,fuelfree,nonpolluting,spacesaving
movement.
Invitingstreetpatterns

Peoplemayhavetheperceptionthatamoderncityinvolveslong,straight,widestreetslaid
inagridpattern.Whileitistruethatancientcitiestendtohavenarrow,curvedstreetsanda
nongridorientation,andthatmorerecentcityplanningoftenfollowsagridpattern,the
problemswiththenewstyleofbuildinghavebecomereadilyapparent,leadingtoachange
towardstheformerstyle.ThemostattractivepartsofEuropeancitiesaretheoldtowncenters,
withtheirnarrow,windingstreetssuddenlyopeningintoattractiveplazas;themosttouristed
cityintheworldisVenice,anentirelypedestriancitybuilttofollowcanals,notgrids.
Long,straightstreetsarebuiltforcars,notpeople.Whileitmaybeeasytodriveonastraight
street,itisextremelyboring;asaresult,driversoftenspeed,creatingdangeroussituationsfor
residents,especiallychildren.Moreover,thefartheronecanseeahead,thelongertheroute
seems.Windingstreetslendasenseofadventureforpedestrians,aspeoplecanonlyseealittle
wayahead;thequestionofwhatisaroundthenextcornerprovidesincentivetowalk,and
encouragespedestrianstotravelfartheronfootthantheyotherwisewould.Inaddition,itis
easiertocrossnarrowerthanwidestreets.
Gridsystemsalsocontributetosprawl.Widestreetsmeanthatalargeportionofurbanspace
isdevotedtostreets;morelandisthusneededforbuildings,causingcitiestosprawlfarbeyond
theiroriginalboundaries.Compact,densecitiesareeasiertomovearoundinquicklybyfoot
andotherfuelfreemeans,andoccupyfarlessspace,whichcanthenbelefttonature,
agriculture,andrecreation.
Qualityoutdoorrecreation
Whenpeoplesbasicneedsfordecenthousing,sanitation,water,andelectricityarenotmet,it
mayseemprematuretoplanforrecreation.Yetpeoplerequirerecreation,justastheyrequire
theirbasicneedstobemet.Further,recreationisoneareainwhichequitycaneasilybe
guaranteedforallcitizens.Itisvitaltoincludeinacitysufficientgreenspaces(parks,fields,
treelinedpaths)andpublicspacesforpeopleofallages,incomes,andbothsexestogatherand
enjoy.Sincesmallchildrenarenotabletotravelfarfromhome,itisoftenbettertoprovide
manysmallparksthanafewlargeplayingfields;whereotherrecreationcannotbeensured,

24

minorstreetscanbeclosedtotrafficatcertaintimesofthedayordaysoftheweektoallow
childrentoplayandadultstosocializeoutdoors.Certainbasicconditionsareneededforparks
andotherplayareas:sufficientlighting,cleanupservices,andproximitytoandvisibilityfrom
homesandofficebuildings,toensuresafety.Safetycanalsobeincreasedbyencouraging
vendorstooperate,astheirpresencepreventscrime.
Parksandplaygrounds

Childrenandyouthneedplacestorunaroundandplaysports;adultsneedpleasantplacesfor
recreationandexercise.Parksandplaygroundsshouldservethesepurposestosomeextent,
thoughitisimportanttonotethateveninwealthycountrieswithpleasantparks,childrenoften
preferplayingonthelivelystreetsthaninquieterparksorplaygrounds.
Theessentialproblemwithparks,playgrounds,andplayingfieldscomeswhen,bybeing
availabletoeveryone,theyareownedbynoone.Lackofownershipmeanslackof
maintenance;theycanquicklybecomedirtyanddangerous,inhabitedonlybypeoplewith
nowherebettertogoandavoidedbymostoftheareasresidents.Publicareasdonotthrive
withoutsomesortofmaintenanceandsecurity:cleanupandlightingarecritical.Sois
placementofsuchareas:theyneedtobevisiblefromsurroundingbuildings,andplacedsuch
thatpeoplewillreadilyandeasilyaccessthem,evenwithoutpriorintention.Thatis,asmall
parkthroughwhichpeoplenaturallypassontheirwaytoandfromsurroundingbuildingswill
befarsaferthanalargerbutmoreoutofthewaypark.
Playgroundsattachedtoschoolshavetheobviousadvantageofclearownership:itisthe
schoolsresponsibilitytomaintainthecleanlinessandsafetyoftheplayground.Small
neighborhoodparksthatgivetheneighborsasenseofownershipcanoperateinthesameway,
byaddingbenchesorlowwallsforseating,andencouragingthepresenceofvendors,toattract
adultsaswellaschildren.

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Anotherobviousfact:itisatremendouswasteofopenspacetouseitforcarparking.
Obviouslytherecreationalneedsofchildrenandyouth,andfitnessneedsofadults,shouldtake
precedenceoverafewindividualsdesiretostoretheirprivatevehicleforfreeinpublicspace.
Therelatedproblemsofoverweight,obesity,andlackofphysicalactivityhavereached
epidemicproportionsaroundtheworld,causingtheWHOtoissueguidelines16onhow
governmentscanchangeinfrastructuretoemphasizeactivetravelandbetter,freerecreational
opportunitiesforall.Oneplayingfieldcanbeusedoverthecourseofseveralhoursby
hundredsofpeople,orserveahandfulofpeopleascarparking.Inacitythatgivespriorityto
childrenandthatsupportspublichealththroughactivetravelandrecreation,parkswillnever
beusedasparkinglots.
Publicspaces
Acityfunctionsbestwhenpeopleofdifferentages,incomegroups,beliefs,andcultureshave
opportunitiestomix,meet,andsimplyobserveeachotherinpublicareas.Onlythroughsuch
interactionsdopeoplelearnaboutpeopledifferentfromthemselves,andthusgaintolerance
andappreciationfordifferentwaysoflifeandmodesofthought.Asocietystronglydivided
alonglinesofclass,skincolor,orreligion,isanunhealthysociety.
Peoplesfondnessfortheircityalsodependsonthequalityofpublicspaces.Whenpeople
havetheopportunitytorecreateenjoyablyandwithoutexpenseinattractiveplacesfreefrom
thenoise,fumes,anddangerofvehicles,theyare,simply,happier.Inmanycities,thehigh
pointoftheweekisafamilybikerideonastreetclosedtotrafficforpartoftheweekend;upto
twomillionpeoplecomeout,onbicycle,skates,orfoot,toenjoysuchaneventeverySundayin
Bogot.
Someofthequalitiesofgoodpublicspacesarethattheyareeasytoaccessbyfoot,bicycle,and
rickshaw;largeenoughtoaccommodatemanypeople,butnotsolargeoremptyastobe
intimidatingorfeelunfriendly;provideplentyofplacestosit,includingbenches,steps,low
walls,andevenstatues,flowerpots,andotherunconventionalseating;offerthingstolookat,
buy,andthingstodo;andarelocatedsafelydistantfromthenoise,fumes,anddangerof
traffic.

16

World Health Organization; EdwardsandTsouros2006

26


Publicareasofdifferentsizesanddescriptionsshouldexistthroughoutthecity,givingpeople
naturalplacestogatherandsocializeatdifferenttimesoftheday.InDhaka,DhanmondiLake
serveswellinthatrespect;manypeoplegatheratTSC,whichwouldbemuchbetterwithout
thecartraffic.Otherplacesintendedforrecreationhavefailedtobeusedassuch,withmany
parksgoingunused,andfieldsconvertedintoparkinglots.Itisimportanttolookatthe
elementsofqualitypublicplaceswhendesigningthem;simplywritingemptyspacesintoa
designisnotsufficientiftherearenotqualitiesthatdrawpeopletothearea.
Provisionsfornatureandagriculture
Citiesneedntbeallbuildingsandroads.Treesplayavitalpartinurbanlife,offeringvisual
delight,thesenseofcontactwithnature,andrelieffromheatandflooding.Butifcitiesare
mixeduseandhighdensity,whathappenstothetrees?WhenpeopledescribeDhanmondi
beforeallthedevelopmenthappened,itisasaseaofgreensinglefamilyhousessurrounded
bytrees.Whenthemultistoryapartmentbuildingsgoup,downcomethetrees,sothatthe
cityofgreenerybecomesacityofconcrete.

Butitdoesnthavetobethatway.Ideally,asmorepeopleoccupylesslandinacompact,high
densitycity,morespacewillbecomeavailablefortrees.Theprobleminmanycitiesisnthigh
densityperse,butthewaythatthehighdensityareasareplannedandbuilt.Withuses
separated,theassumptionisthateveryonewilltravelbycar;itisthewideroads,notthetall
buildings,thatleavelittleroomforgreenery.Unattractiveboxesareploppeddownbywide
roads,withafewmalnourishedtreesasagesturetowardstheenvironmentandaesthetics.But
whatifthebuildingscontainedworkplacesandschoolsaswellashousing?Whatiftheroads
werenarrower,thefootpathswider,andmoretreeswereplanted?Justashighdensitydoesnt
necessarilymeanmorenoiseandcanmeanless,sohighdensitycanactuallymeanmoretrees.

27

Moretreesandwaterbodiesalsomeansmoreplacefornaturescreaturesfish,birds,even
smallanimals,whichareallkeytotheecosystem.

Inadditiontotrees,itisimportanttoincludeagriculturalareasinorclosetocities.These
provideakeyadvantage,inthattheymakefreshlygrownfoodmoreeasilyandcheaply
available,requiringfarlesstimefortransporttolocalmarkets.Giventheuseofrickshawvans,
suchproducecanevenbetransportedwithouttheuseoffuel,sothatincreasesinfuelprices
willnotnecessarilyleadtoanincreaseinthepriceoffreshfruitandvegetables.Gardensare
alsohavensofpeace,coolandgreeninthecity.Citiesaroundtheworld,includingBeijing,
Vancouver,andKampala,Uganda,devoteconsiderableurbanspacetogardening17,thereby
providingfreshproduceatlowcosttourbandwellersandcreatingwelcomepocketsofgreen
incities.
Giventhoseadvantages,itmakessensetobuildmorecompact,denselypopulatedcities,
leavingareasthatareopenbutnotbarren.Whilesomeopenspacesshouldbeusedfor
gatheringandplayspaces,otherscanbeusedaspocketsofnatureandforgardeningand
smallscaleagriculture.
Waterbodies

Waterbodieswithinacitybetheycanals,lakes,pondsorriversservemultiplepurposes.
Theycanservetocollectwaterduringheavyrains,thusreducingflooding.Theycanbea
sourceofrecreationortransport.Theyalsocanserveasanattraction,aplacewherepeople
gatherandenjoythecalmthatviewingandhearingwatercreates.

17

IDRC

28

Watercanbeintegratedintocitiesinmanyways,therebyenhancingthebeautyandpleasureof
livinginthatcity.Eveninentirelypavedareas,fountainsandtinychannelsofwaterrunning
inthemiddleofapedestrianstreetastheyfamouslydoinFreiburg,Germanycanserveas
attractionstopassersbyandsourcesofplayforchildren.
Preservationofcanals,lakes,andpondsisalsovitallyimportant.AvisittoDhanmondilake
makesclearhowpopulararecreationalareaitis,andwhatanimportantfunctionitservesin
citylife.Inthemorning,itisavitalgatheringplaceforexercise,shopping,andsocializing;
duringtheday,peoplecontinuetowalkaroundthelake,tositandenjoythesurroundings,and
totalktofriends.Manyvendorsearntheirlivingthere,andvariousshopsandrestaurantsdo
goodbusiness.Lakescanthusbeavitalpartofthecityseconomyaswellassociallife,but
again,properinfrastructureisrequired:Dhanmondilakebegantobepreservedoncean
attractivepathwasbuiltaroundit,whileGulshanlake,lackingsuchapath,continuestobe
encroachedupon.
Equity

Thosewithahighincomehaveadvantagesoverthosewithlowincomesinavarietyofareas,
includinginhousing,transport,education,healthcare,andrecreation.Moneymaynotbuy
happiness,butitcanpurchasebetterfoodandclothing,moresecurityfromcrime,somerelief
frompollution,andaccesstojusttheservicesthatareneededtoensurethecontinuationof
wealth.
Ifurbanplannerscannotaddressmostaspectsofinequity,theycanacttoavoidfurther
increasingthegapbetweenrichandpoor,andtoincreaseequityinatleastsomeareas.These
includeincreasingthepossibilityofsafemovementnotonlyfortherich;improvingtheaccess
ofpeopleofallincomegroupstoneededgoodsandservices;improvingconditionsforlowcost
andfreetransport;avoidingcurtailingtheabilityofthepoortoearnaliving;andenhancing
accesstoquality,freerecreationforallgroups.
Intermsofsafemovementandaccess,considertherightofawealthypersontodriveacaras
opposedtotherightofanyone,regardlessofincome,totravelsafelybyothermeans,orsimply
tocrossthestreet.Giventheeasewithwhichonecan,inalargemotorizedvehicle,maimor
killapedestrian,theonusshouldbeonthedriverofthevehicle,notonthepedestrian,to
ensuresafety.Thatis,nobodyhastherighttodrive,atfastspeeds,avehicleweighingoneton
ormore,whenthatrightcouldeasilyprovefataltoothers.Whenonesrighttodrive
interfereswiththerightsofotherstomoveaboutbynonpollutingmodes,therighttodrive
mustfurtherbequestioned.Whileequitymaynotexistinotherareas,wecaninstituteitinour
transportsystem,byensuringnearlyequalaccessforalltoneededgoodsandservices,and
safetyforallinmovingaboutthecity.AsEnriquePealosasays,Ifyouhavearightto

29

mobility,therighttomovefromoneplacetoanotherwithoutgettingkilled,itcannotbe
exclusivetothosewhoownamotorvehicle.18Thatis,owningacarisaprivilege,notaright;if
yourowningacarconflictswiththeabilityofotherstomovefreely,thenthatprivilegecanbe
revoked.
Transportcostscanrequireasignificantportionofincomeforthepoor.Takingabusis
unaffordabletomany;cyclingandwalkingaretheleastexpensiveoptions,butconditionsare
oftenatrocious.Equity,aswellasotherconsiderations,demandthatmovingaboutbyfootand
cyclebeeasy,pleasant,andsafe.Asforjobs,itisclearthattransportpolicycanhavea
significantandnegativeimpactontheabilityofthepoortoearnaliving.19Inorderto
preventfurtherinequity,plannersshouldavoidbanningorcurtailingeconomicactivitiesby
thepoorsuchaspedalingofrickshawsorvendingonornearfootpaths.
Finally,whiletherichhaveaccesstoavarietyofclubs,restaurants,andothervenuesfor
recreation,thepoorhavelittlemorethanfootpaths.Qualityoutdoorrecreationshouldbe
availablethroughoutthecity,befree,andbewelcomingtopeopleofbothsexes,allages,and
allincomegroups.Thereisnoreasonwhypeoplewithlowincomesshouldfacedeprivation
onallfronts,andrecreationisoneareainwhichequityiseasytoachieve,andwouldbenefitall
groups.Afterall,civilizationiscontingentinpartonthemixingofdifferentsocialandincome
groups,sothatpeoplecanlearnabouteachotherandcountertheirprejudices.Boththepoor
andtherichneedtodiscoverthattheotherishuman;thismixingofthesocialclassesisoneof
thehighestaimsofdemocracy,andshouldbeakeygoalinalivablecity.
Changingourdream

Thinkabouttheadsweseeeverydayfornewbuildingsandresidentialareas,whichalways
showawidestreetwithjustoneortwocarsandnopeople.Howlongwillthosestreetsstay
empty,whenpeopleneedtotraveltoaccesseverythingjobs,schools,shops,healthcareand
recreation?Infactthevisioninthoseads,unrealisticasitis,isoftheabsenceoftrafficjams,not
thepresenceofapleasantneighborhood.Wemustlearntodreamadifferentdream,adreamof
creatingcitiesforpeople,notcars.
Zoningrequirementsshouldbeusedtocreatemixeduseareas,ratherthantoseparateuses.
Anybuildingprojectwhichwillincreasetheneedformediumandlongdistancetravelsuch
McCall2005
EfroymsonandRahman2005

18
19

30

asalargehousingprojectwithnoshops,schools,workplaces,orsimilarservicesshouldnot
beallowedtobebuilt.Antisprawlmeasuresarecriticaltopreservethequalityofurbanlife.
Imaginetheresults:vibrantneighborhoodsfullofpeopleonfoot,streetsflowingwithbicycles
andrickshaws;childrenplayingonfootpathsandminorstreets;tallmixedusebuildings
convergingoncourtyards;thesoundofchildrenslaughterandthecallsofbirds.Notjusta
dream,butarealityifweonlydream,andthensettoworkbuildingit.
Details
Afterestablishingthebasicpreceptsofalivablecity,onecanlookatdetailsthatwillfurther
enhancequalityoflifeinthecity:
Includecourtyardsandothersmallopenspacesthatareattachedtoaclusterof
buildings,allowingsmallchildrenplayopportunitiesimmediatelyadjacenttotheir
homes,andplacesforadultstogatherandsocialize.Considerhousingcolonies,with
theirsmallfieldsforplayingandtalking,andlandforgardening.Peopleincolonies
arefarmorelikelytoknowtheirneighborsandhaveasenseofcommunitythanthose
livinginmoremodern,expensiveapartments.
Encouragepeopletostopandstayoutdoors,byplacingbenchesorlowwallsatthe
entranceofbuildings,addingbenchesregularlyonfootpaths,andcreatingquality
outdoorenvironmentswithplentyofprimaryandsecondaryseating(primaryseating
meaningbenches;secondaryseatingcanincludesteps,lowwalls,pedestalsofstatues,
etc.).

Toincreasewalkability,encouragenarrowshopfronts,withlargerbuildingsbeing
placedbehind;trytoavoidlongwallsandotherblankfaades,aspeoplearefarmore
likelytowalkiftherearethingstosee;theproblemcanalsobeovercomebylicensing
vendors,givingthemalimitedamountoffootpathspacesothatpedestriansgainsafety
andattraction,whilestillhavingspacetomove;

31


Consideraddingarchestomakedifferentneighborhoodsdistinct;sucharchescangive
peopleasenseofcommunityidentityandbelonging;

Createpedestrianstreetsandotherpedestrianareas,particularlyincommercialareas
wherefarmorepeoplewillbeabletomovearoundandvisitshopsandrestaurants
thanifcarswereallowed;
Celebratestreetlifebyencouragingstreetfestivalsandentertainers,sothatpeoplewill
enjoybeingoutdoorsandhavetheopportunitytosocializewithothers;
Whilethisshouldnotbeahighbudgetitem,includestreetarttorewardthosemoving
slowlybyfootandbicyclebygivingthemattractivedetailstoenjoy;
Provideadequatelighting,forsafetyaswellasattractiveness(manykindsoflightsare
availablethataremoreattractivethantypicalstreetlights).
ECONOMICISSUES:CURRENT
Thecurrentsituationisexpensiveandwasteful,yettheresultsareunsatisfactory:despitehigh
expensesfortransport,trafficinDhakaandcountlessothercarorientedcitiesisadisaster.
Highcostscomeinmanyforms.First,therearethecostsoftrafficcongestion.Theseinclude
fuelwastedbyidlingvehicles;timespentintrafficjamsthatcouldbespentatwork;
productivitylossesduebothtolosttimeanddelays;timespenttransportingchildrenandthe
elderlywhocouldotherwisetransportthemselves;difficultiesaccessingeducationandhealth
careforbothchildrenandadults,whichaffectscurrentandfutureproductivity;anddelaysin
movingfreightandgoods.Trafficcongestionalsomeansinefficientbusservice,withbuses
caughtintrafficjams.Hencealargenumberofbusesisneededtoservealimitednumberof

32

passengers,whereaswithfewertrafficjams,fewerbuseswouldbeneeded,astheycouldreach
theirdestinationandthenrunthetripagainsooner.
Othercostsincludethehigherpriceofgoodsduetouseoffueltotransporttheminsteadof
relyingonfuelfreetransport(rickshawvans);heavysubsidiesforfuel,aswellaspoliticalcosts
whenthegovernmentattemptstoreducesuchunaffordablesubsidies;foreignexchangefor
vehicles,parts,andfuel;andhighindividualtravelcosts.

Carparkingalsoinvolvesconsiderablecosts.Considerthevalueofspaceused:space
currentlybeingusedforcarparkingcouldimprovethemobilityofothers,orbeusedfor
economicallyproductiveactivities(groundfloorofbuildingsusedforshopsorhousing,
roadsidespaceusedinpartforvendors)thatwouldgenerateemployment,increaseincome,
andpossiblydecreasecrime.
Thereisalsothecostoftheinfrastructureforparking:largeinvestmentsareneededtobuild
undergroundparking.Therearetheinfrastructurecoststoaccommodatecars,intermsof
constructionofflyoversandroads.Andtherearemanyindirectcostsfromheavyrelianceon
fueldependenttransport:environmentalpollution(air,noise,water);accidentscostsin
termsoflostlifeandlimb,hospitalization,repairofdamagedvehicles;andcontributionto
globalwarming/climatechange.
Whilethosecostsmayseeminevitableinamodernsociety,manycitygovernmentshave
cometorealizethatsuchcostsareneitheracceptablenoraffordable.Oncealternativesare
recognizedandconsidered,theinevitabilityofsuchhighcostscanbequestioned.Infact,there
isnothinginevitableaboutasystembasedmostlyonfueldependenttransport.Whilesucha
systembenefitsatinysegmentofthepopulationmostlycardealerships,asevencarowners
sufferduetotheheavycongestion,environmentaldamage,andothercostsalternativescan
makelifebetterforvirtuallyeveryone,andthusproveextremelypopular,asBogot
(Colombia),Copenhagen(Denmark),Curitiba(Brazil),Freiburg(Germany),Portland(Oregon,
USA),Venice(Italy),Zurich(Switzerland),andothercitieshaveproven.
ECONOMICISSUES:FUTURE
Whatthenshouldthefuturelooklike?Asmentionedabove,welldesigned,enlightened,
moderncitiesofthefuturewillbehighdensitycities,inwhicheveryzoneismixeduse,
therebygreatlyreducingtheneedfortravel.Moderncitieswillfocusonaccessratherthan
mobility.Asaresult,muchofthewastedexpenditurescitedabovewillbegreatlyreduced,
whileinreturn,peoplewillgainmorelivableenvironments.

33

Specifically,savingswilloccuronanumberoffronts.Dense,mixeduseareasthatdonotfocus
onthespacewastingcarwillutilizemostoftheirspaceforproductivepurposes.Ratherthan
devotingsignificantamountsofroadandotherspacetocars,spacewillbeusedforthe
movementofthemasses,forincomegenerationthroughtransport(rickshawandvanpulling,
repairofbicyclesandrickshaws)andfootpathvendors;andforrecreationaluses.
Allofthehighcostsgeneratedbyfueldependenttransportwillinvolveaproportionate
savings,whenrelianceonfueldependenttransportisreplacedbyrelianceonfuelfree
transport.Furthersavingswilloccurastravelbetweencities,forbothpassengersandfreight,
occursmostlybyrailratherthanroad.Trainsaremoreeconomical(intermsofticketcosts,fuel
use,useofspace,andinfrastructureinvestments),arebetterfortheenvironment,andarefar
saferthanbuses.20
QUALITYOFLIFE/HAPPINESS

Whatmattersmostinlife?Ofcoursepeopleneedtomeettheirbasicneeds;beyondthat,
peopleenjoyaccessingvariouscomfortsandluxuries.Butisthemostimportantthinginlife
incomeandwhatonecanbuy?Canmoneyinfactpurchasehappiness?Ismoneyevenmore
importantthanhappiness?
CountriesaroundtheworldkeeptrackofGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)orGrossNational
Product(GNP),ontheassumptionthatsuchmeasureswillgiveanindicationofthelivelihood
ofthecountryspeople.Buthowaccurateorhelpfularesuchmeasures?Sinceeconomic
measuresonlytakeintoaccountcertainthingswhileignoringmanyotherssuchasthestateof
theenvironment,orthecountrysnaturalresources,orpeoplesfreetime,recreation,and
enjoymenttheyareoflimiteduseinmeasuringwhattheyareestablishedtomeasure.21Thus
BhutanhasinsteadbeguntolookatGrossNationalHappinessorGNHwhetherornotthe
populationisbecominghappierovertime.Thisisparticularlyimportantgiventhatresearch
suggeststhatbecomingwealthydoeslittletoimprovehappiness,aspeoplecompare
themselvestothosewhoarebetteroffthantheyare.Researchsuggeststhatadvertisingto
childrencanmakethemmoreunhappy:Childrenthataremorebrandaware,aremore
consumerist,cameacrossaslesssatisfiedinotherpartsoftheirliveswereunhappier.22
Whatdoesmakepeoplehappy?Happinessiscloselylinkedtosocialcapitalthatis,the
sumofallourconnectionsandtrustinotherpeople,ourpersonalfamilyties,ourfriends,and
20

Dey, Iqbal, and Sabuj 2006

Waring1998
22Easton2006
21

34

ouracquaintances;interestingly,itisalsolinkedtoasmallerincomegapbetweenrichand
poor.23InthewordsofEnriquePealosa,Ifyoubaseprogressonpercapitaincome,thenthe
developingworldwillnotcatchupwithrichcountriesforthenextthreeorfourhundredyears.
Thedifferencebetweenourincomesisgrowingallthetime.Sowecantdefineourprogressin
termsofincome,becausethatwillguaranteeourfailure.Weneedtofindanothermeasureof
success.Themeasurehesuggestsishappinessandhowcanthatbeachieved?whatare
ourneedsforhappiness?Weneedtowalk,justasbirdsneedtofly.Weneedtobearound
otherpeople.Weneedbeauty.Weneedcontactwithnature.Andmostofall,weneednotto
beexcluded.Weneedtofeelsomesortofequality.24
Thatis,ifwechangedourfocusawayfromincomeandtowardshappinessafter,ofcourse,
consideringpeoplesbasicneedswecouldachieveafarmorepleasanturbanenvironment,
andattainsomethingfarmoreimportantthanmaterialwealth.
Relatedtothisissueisthequestionoftime.Formanypeople,ahugedailyproblemislackof
time,foronesself,onesfamily,onesfriends,andonescommunity.Timestuckintraffic
jams,timespenttravelingtodistantdestinations,timechauffeuringchildrenandtheelderly,is
alltimetakenawayfrommorevaluablepursuits.Ifonecouldshortenonescommute,and
mostchildrenandtheelderlycouldtravelunescorted,thenfarmoretimewouldbeavailable
foronesselfandothers,timethatwouldenhanceonesqualityoflifeandoneshappiness.
Amorelivablecitywouldthusmeanlesspollution,lesscrime,fewerdangerousaccidents,and
morerecreation;morebeauty,moresocializing,morehappiness.Whowouldntwantsuch
improvementsovercurrentcitylife?
POTENTIALPROBLEMSORCOUNTERARGUMENTS

Butwhataboutpeoplesrightstoownanddrivetheirowncar?
Somearguethatpeoplehavetherighttobuy,anduse,acar.Butwhatactuallycountas
rights,andwhatshouldbelabeledasprivilegesthatis,advantageswhichpeoplemayenjoyif
theydonotconflictwiththerightsofothers,butwhichgovernmentscanrevokeatany
momentiftheydointerferewithothersenjoymentoftheirrights?Certainlyitisreasonableto
saythatpeoplehavetherighttomoveaboutacity,ortowalk.Otherthanaverysmallsection
ofthesociety,everyonephysicallycanwalk;walkingisthemostbasicwaytogetabout,andis
abasicright.Butonlyasmallminorityofthepopulationcanbuyacar,andifcarsinterfere

23

Easton 2006
CarbustersIssue28,Sept.Nov.2006

24

35

withtherightsofotherstowalkabout,ortocyclesafely,ortoenjoypeaceandquiet,thenthat
rightcanberevoked.

Inanycase,thereareplentyofcitiesinBangladeshandaroundtheworldthatallowpeopleto
drive,thoughmanydoplacelimitationsonwheretheycandosoandunderwhatconditions
(includingbanningparkinginmanyplaces,forbiddingunnecessaryhonking,andinsistingon
obeyingtrafficrules).Forthosewhowishtodrive,therewillstillbeopportunitiestodoso;for
thoseresidinginamorelivablecity,otherprivilegesandrightswillbeenjoyed!
Peopledontwanttoliveorworkinmixeduseareas.
Somepeoplethinkthatitisbettertoseparatedifferentareas,withofficesbeinginonepartof
town,residencesinanother,andshoppinginyetanother.Peoplemayperceivethatresidential
areaswillbequietifofficeworkersdonotappearduringtheday,orthatofficeworkismade
possiblebytheabsenceofteenagersplayingmusicloudly.Infact,themaindisruptiontosleep,
study,andworkisnoisefrommotorizedvehicles,notothercauses;ifmotorizedvehiclesare
reduced,thenitwillbeeasiertosleep,study,andwork.
Considerthecaseofreturninghomefromworktodiscoverthatthereisvirtuallynofoodinthe
home,orsomeimportantingredientismissing.Nearbythereisnorestaurant,smallhotel,or
shop.Againonemustbravethetraffic,evenforjustasimplemealorsmallitem.Howmuch
simplerifonecouldwalkafewstepstoasmallneighborhoodshop,oreatinalocalrestaurant.
Citiesthrivewhendifferentareasremainlivelyatdifferenthoursnotlivelywithtrafficand
thehonkingofhorns,butlivelywiththemovementandconversationofpeople.Incitieswhere
shortdistancetravelisfacilitatedandmotorizedvehiclesrestricted,whereallareasaremixed
andthuspeoplecomeandgoatdifferenthours,alivelyenvironmentcaneasilybemaintained,
encouragingsociabilityaswellasensuringsafety.Whenpeopleexperienceorrealizethese
advantages,theywillchoosemixedareas.
Highdensitylivingcausesmanyproblems.
Peopleoftenassociatehighdensitywithnoise,dirt,andperhapscrime.Crowdeddwellings
canbedark,lackproperventilation,andthusspreaddisease.Historically,itisforthose
reasonsthatcityordinancescameintoplacelimitingdensity.Nowthatwehavehadthose
ordinancesforalongwhile,wehavehadplentyofopportunitytodiscoverthatmandatinglow
densitybringsanothersetofproblems:sprawl,wastedland,socialisolation,highrelianceon
motorizedvehiclesandthuspollution,trafficjams,hightravelexpenses,manyroadcrashes,
andobesity.

36

Ofcoursesomelimitsondensityarereasonable,butlowdensityisasbadinitswayasoverly
highdensity.Highdensitydoesnothavetobeincompatiblewithlight,ventilation,and
cleanliness.Ifcarsdonotoccupylivingareas,thennoisepollutioncanbedrasticallyreduced.
Whenhighdensityareasincludeneededservices,theneedfortravelisgreatlyreduced,further
reducingtrafficandtrafficrelatedproblems.Whenpeoplemoveaboutonfootandhaveample
opportunityforoutdoorrecreationaroundtheirlivingareas,neighborsgettoknoweachother,
andsocialisolationandcrimedrop.Interestingly,themostexpensivepartofParisisalsothe
onewiththehighestdensity;peoplehappilypayhighrentforthechancetoliveinalively
neighborhoodwithineasywalkingdistanceofarangeofshops,restaurants,theaters,art
galleries,andsoon.
Shouldntwejustbuildmoreroads?
Internationalexperiencehasproventhatitisimpossibleforroadbuildingtokeepupwithan
unlimitedincreaseinprivatevehicles;asaresult,trafficcongestionwillneverdecline.Delhi,
withtwicethespacegivenovertoroadsasDhaka,stillsuffersfromtrafficjams.If6%isnt
enough,and12%isntenough,thenhowmuchis?Andhowpractical(nottomention
expensive)isittocontinueincreasingroadspace?Itisalsohelpfultorememberthattobuild
roads,wemustknocksomethingelsedown,therebyfurtherincreasingthedistancebetween
destinations,andthusincreasingtheneedfortravel.Asmentionedabove,itisreducingroad
spacethathasbeenshowntoreducetraffic;ratherthantryingtobuildmoreroads,weshould
makebetteruseofexistingonesbyencouragingspaceefficientmodes(walking,bicycles,
rickshaws,andpublictransit)anddiscouragingthespaceconsumingprivatecar.
Willalivablecitybeeconomicallyviable?

First,howeconomicallyviableareourexistingcities?Transportofgoods,andofpeopleto
theirworkplaces,iscontinuallyhamperedbyserioustrafficjams.Muchmoneyiswastedon
fuel,includingfuelspentwhilecarsidleintraffic.Manybusinessesmaychoosenottomoveto
Dhaka,becauseoftheunpleasantlivingenvironment.Infact,agoodenvironmentforits
employeesisoneofthemainconsiderationsformanylargebusinessesindecidingwhereto
settle,asitisfareasiertorecruitemployeestoliveinapleasantenvironment.
TransportwithoutmotorswillnotnecessarilybeanyslowerthanitoftenisinDhaka;afterall,
theaveragespeedofbusesinDhaka(around13.2km/hour)couldeasilybeachievedbybicycle,
andisslightlylessthantheaveragerickshawspeedof13.4km/hour25.Abetterliving
25

Ali 2006

37

environmentwillbeconducivetoattractinginvestment.Besides,itisimportanttoremember
thataftermeetingbasicneeds,thereasonweseekmoremoneyispresumablytoimprove
qualityoflife.Butitisdifficulttobuypeaceandquiet,andalmostimpossibletobuycleanair
andafriendlylivingenvironment.Byachievingallthose,evenalowerlevelofincomewould
translateintoafarhigherqualityoflifethanispossibleinmanyexistingcities.
Doesanycityresemblethelivablecitydescribedhere?
Hasanycitysucceededinchangingitselftoresemblemorethekindofhumane,friendly,
livablecitydescribedhere,oristhisjustanimpracticaldream?

Astheproblemsofurbanizationanduncontrolledgrowthincarsbecomeeverclearer,many
citiesaroundtheworldhaverespondedwithpositiveactionstocreatebetterliving
environments.Venicehasnocartrafficwithinthecitywhatsoever;manyothercitiesbancars
fromtheircentralareaorcertainstreetspermanently,andmanyothershaveregularcarfree
eventsinwhichresidentscansafelyrecreateasfamilies,enjoyingwalking,biking,andskating
oncarfreestreets.Copenhagen,Denmarkhasundergonevastchangesoverthelastfew
decades,dramaticallyreducingcarparkingandimprovingconditionsforwalkingandcycling;
DelftintheNetherlandsandFreiburginGermanyencouragecyclinganddiscouragecaruse,
reapingthemanybenefitsofsuchmeasures.
Whatispossibleinwealthycountriesisalsopossibleinlesswealthycitiesthatsufferfrom
corruptionandotherproblemsaswellasfrompoverty.ConsiderthecaseofBogot,whose
visionarymayor,EnriquePealosa,sethimselfthegoalofredesigninghiscityforchildren,not
cars:
Bogothadlostitselfinslums,chaos,violence,andtraffic.Duringhisthreeyearterm,
Pealosabroughtininitiativesthatwouldseemimpossibleinmostcities.Hebuiltmorethana
hundrednurseriesforchildren.Hebuilt50newpublicschoolsandincreasedenrolmentby
34%.Hebuiltanetworkoflibraries.Hecreatedahighlyefficientbushighwaytransport
system.Hebuiltorreconstructedhundredsofkilometersofsidewalks,morethan300
kilometresofbicyclepaths,pedestrianstreets,andmorethan1,000parks.Hedidit,inpart,by
declaringawaronprivatecars.26

Notonlyhavecitiestransformedthemselvesalongthelinesofalivablecity,butneithergreat
wealthnorperfectgovernanceisessentialtotheprocess.Further,Pealosagainedincredible
popularity,sothathisactionshavebeenimitatedbymayorsthroughLatinAmericaandthe
restoftheworld.Whatisessentialisthewillingnesstobelievethaturbanlifecanbebetter
thanitiscurrently,andthereadinesstoworkforchange.

26

Carbusters 2006

38

CONCLUSION
Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethatcitiesserveasamagnet.Citiesprovideopportunitiesthat
simplycannotbereplicatedinsmallertownsorinthecountryside.Whilethegatheringofa
largenumberofpeopleinasmallspacecancreatemanyproblems,italsogivesrisetomany
opportunitiesthatcannotbereplicatedinotherways.Thetypesofworkandeducational
opportunities,healthcare,leisureandsocializingthatoccurincitiesarebynecessityuniqueto
cities.
Toimproveourcities,wemustseparatetheessentialnatureofacitythatis,thepresenceof
manyopportunitiesforexchangewithinasmallspacefromtheproblemswhich,whilethey
oftenoccurincities,arenotinevitable.Muchofthepollution,traffic,noise,danger,and
alienationincitylifeisanunnecessary,avoidablebyproductofurbanlife,creatednotbycities
themselves,butbylackofproperprioritizationandthoughttowardsurbanexistence.
Bychangingourprioritiesawayfromtravelandcars,andtowardsaccessandpeople,wecan
greatlyimprovecitylife.Byputtingchildrenfirstindeedaswellasinwordwecanall
benefit.Wecanmaintainthemanyadvantagesofurbanlivingwhilegreatlyreducingthe
problems.Wecanmakeourcitieslivable,andatthesametime,reducehouseholdand
nationwidecosts.Wecanimprovetheenvironment,sociability,andincreasehappiness.Butto
attainallthis,wemustbewillingtoexaminewithanopenmindtheactualconditionsofour
existingcities,andacceptthepossibilityofsomethingbetter.

39

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