1+3+9 Take One

1. Urban streets should be a place of connectivity and foster community on what would otherwise be an isolated path.

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3. The city street as we know it serves as a utilitarian method of transit. It is formatted to favor the automobile and chronically ignores the needs of the pedestrian by segregating this user to the sidewalk. We can make our cities more enjoyable by designing pleasing and entertaining street spaces for the walking citizen.

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9. The American urban experience has been hijacked by the automobile. The need to accommodate increased vehicular traffic threatens the pedestrian heartbeat of the city. In areas where urbanity struggles to thrive, cars stymie the growth of walkable, enjoyable streetscapes.

European cities, which developed long before the advent of the automobile, grew with the needs of its pedestrians. The European city street environment enhances the walker's experience by providing places for pause, breaking up a usually continuous path of movement. On streets such as the Champs Elysses in Paris and Strøget in Copenhagen, the street becomes the destination for the pedestrian.

The car's existence will persist for many years to come, but we can resist the detriment of its streets. The future of better city streets lies in the increasing migration of its citizens towards the urban environment. By adapting European sensibilities toward urban street space, America's city streets can fulfill the promise of the urban experience.