Move over drivers. That seems to be one of the takeaways of a new research study which has called for a shift from a motorist-oriented to a people-first approach in tropical cities.
Conducted in March by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), together with Danish architect Jan Gehl, the “Active Mobility” study examined cycling and pedestrian issues in Singapore and provided lessons on improving walkability and bikeability here.
Firstly, there should be greater emphasis placed on safety for pedestrians and cyclists – through the redesign of junctions, as well as giving them more priority with continuous sidewalks, at-grade crossings, and shared streets at high pedestrian volume areas.
The study also suggested that cycling and walking infrastructure should be integrated with public transport to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists undertaking longer trips.
Another idea was for street tree planting and sheltered public walkways, which the government has been extensively providing, to make active travel a more comfortable experience.
At the same time, developers and building owners should be encouraged to install end-of-trip shower facilities or even drop-and-go laundries in offices.
Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Singapore, though only one percent of peak hour trips are made on bicycles in the city-state. For 100,000 people, four kilometres of cycling tracks are provided.
Dr Limin Hee, Director at CLC, said: “Cities like Singapore are quite into Sunday cycling, on our wonderful park connectors. Now, the challenge is how to bring Sunday cycling onto Monday cycling, where it could be a viable alternative to taking motorised transport. Cities will be better for it, as walking and cycling takes up so much less precious space.”
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
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