Reclaiming Public Space: Traffic Areas as a Game Changer for Future-Oriented Urban Planning

Kiers, Martijn and Jolly, Jennifer and Sovec, Tina (2025) Reclaiming Public Space: Traffic Areas as a Game Changer for Future-Oriented Urban Planning. URBAN INNOVATION: TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO CITIES HAVE GONE BEFORE. Medium sized cities and towns as a major arena of global urbanisation. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2025, 30th Intl. Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 1159-1164. ISSN 2521-3938

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Abstract

This paper investigates the transformative potential of reclaiming urban traffic areas for sustainable urban planning. It examines the historical dominance of car-centric planning since the mid-20th century and its impact on mobility, urban spaces, and environmental sustainability. Addressing challenges such as mobility poverty and greenhouse gas emissions, the study highlights the critical role of reallocating public spaces from vehicles to human-centered uses to promote social cohesion, inclusivity, and ecological resilience. Case studies, including Barcelona's "superblocks" and Copenhagen's cycling infrastructure, illustrate successful interventions that improve public health, reduce emissions, and support biodiversity. The findings emphasize the necessity of integrated policies – such as compact urban development, congestion pricing, and multimodal mobility – combined with community engagement to create resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Sustainable Urban Planning, Mobility Poverty, Car-Centric Infrastructure, Human-Centered Design, Environmental Resilience
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Depositing User: REAL CORP Administrator
Date Deposited: 16 May 2025 08:06
Last Modified: 16 May 2025 08:14
URI: http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/1153

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