Comments on: Jan Gehl: New York Could Have World’s Best Streets http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:01:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Moser http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59098 Moser Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:28 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59098 NYC DOT provides the safety focus and some of the data you are looking for in another report from earlier this year - see http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/stratplan_safety.pdf NYC DOT provides the safety focus and some of the data you are looking for in another report from earlier this year - see

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/stratplan_safety.pdf

]]> By: Josh http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59063 Josh Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:50:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59063 J, I absolutely understand where you're coming from and agree with you completely, but you're preaching to the choir in this case. If you want to make a convincing case to folks who read Commuter Outrage rather than to folks who read Streetsblog, facts about safety are far more likely to resonate with them than facts about the number of cafe tables per thousand yards of street. If you circumvent those people rather than attempting to communicate with them, they'll be bitter, and understandably so. For that matter, I'm not convinced that we shouldn't be focused on safety first before worrying about the amount of bike parking or the number of benches. Personally, I'd rather read my AM New York while standing than read it while sitting but have the article I'm reading be about some kid who got killed by an out-of-control SUV. I realize that that's a false dichotomy, and that the two types of improvements aren't mutually exclusive, but... to me, safety has to be the most important concern. J,

I absolutely understand where you're coming from and agree with you completely, but you're preaching to the choir in this case. If you want to make a convincing case to folks who read Commuter Outrage rather than to folks who read Streetsblog, facts about safety are far more likely to resonate with them than facts about the number of cafe tables per thousand yards of street. If you circumvent those people rather than attempting to communicate with them, they'll be bitter, and understandably so.

For that matter, I'm not convinced that we shouldn't be focused on safety first before worrying about the amount of bike parking or the number of benches. Personally, I'd rather read my AM New York while standing than read it while sitting but have the article I'm reading be about some kid who got killed by an out-of-control SUV. I realize that that's a false dichotomy, and that the two types of improvements aren't mutually exclusive, but... to me, safety has to be the most important concern.

]]> By: J http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59056 J Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:49:06 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59056 Josh, Part of the problem in New York is that we've only measured the success of our streets in terms of injury statistics and Level of Service. The point of the book is to introduce entirely new metrics to be used to measure our streets' success. While safety statistics are important, these new metrics set the bar higher for our streets. We need to make our streets much more than locations where you're unlikely to be killed or maimed; they should be inviting places for people to travel, interact, and live. Josh,
Part of the problem in New York is that we've only measured the success of our streets in terms of injury statistics and Level of Service. The point of the book is to introduce entirely new metrics to be used to measure our streets' success. While safety statistics are important, these new metrics set the bar higher for our streets. We need to make our streets much more than locations where you're unlikely to be killed or maimed; they should be inviting places for people to travel, interact, and live.

]]> By: Josh http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59052 Josh Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:25:44 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59052 It'd helpful if this report contained more hard data about safety; cold hard facts about how the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths in NYC compare to the numbers in other cities could go a long way towards convincing skeptics of the need for livable streets improvements. It'd helpful if this report contained more hard data about safety; cold hard facts about how the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths in NYC compare to the numbers in other cities could go a long way towards convincing skeptics of the need for livable streets improvements.

]]> By: Fritz http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59051 Fritz Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:15:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59051 I'm glad to see them using Lyon as an example. I really think it's a beautiful city with _great parks along its two rivers_. It'd be nice if we could have a little more of that. Here's to a bright future for all of our cities. I'm glad to see them using Lyon as an example. I really think it's a beautiful city with _great parks along its two rivers_. It'd be nice if we could have a little more of that. Here's to a bright future for all of our cities.

]]> By: JK http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/17/jan-gehl-new-york-could-have-worlds-best-streets/comment-page-1/#comment-59050 JK Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:14:54 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4952#comment-59050 Terrific, especially because it equates "World Class Streets" with "World Class Walking." Along with attractive design, this thoughtful report establishes the rationale for lots of good things, including much needed sidewalk widenings. It is also not afraid to point to world class pedestrian streets in other world cities, something you would not have seen in a NYC DOT report a decade ago. Terrific, especially because it equates "World Class Streets" with "World Class Walking." Along with attractive design, this thoughtful report establishes the rationale for lots of good things, including much needed sidewalk widenings. It is also not afraid to point to world class pedestrian streets in other world cities, something you would not have seen in a NYC DOT report a decade ago.

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