Kangbo Sun – SMART CITIES AND SHARED STREETS
Smart Cities and Shared Streets
Smart cities are gaining interest and popularity not only because they make cities look better but more about improving the services of the government and the welfare of the residents. Information technology and communication made it possible for the emergence of smart cities and this was proven to have improved the efficiency level on the operations and management of information to be shared with the public. Barcelona is one of the smart cities recognized globally and it has been referred to in technical terms as the “most wired city in the world”. This reference to Barcelona as a smart city is a result of the efficient utilization of the internet in enhancing communication. The city has the greatest number of Wi-Fi hotspots that cover the entire city; thus, citizens are connected using their smartphones. This service is already available in park squares and libraries with plans to extend to grant access on buses, metro, markets soon.
Aside from this there are also apps that are made accessible to residents where they get information about different services such as parking spaces, for locating services nearby and map that supports sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives. All of these innovations to make Barcelona a smart city aims to improve the way of life for the residents and continuously improves the city using new solutions and technological innovations (Urban Hub).
Shared Streets
There are two shared streets located in Minneapolis, one is near the Mill City Quarter adjacent to South 2nd Street. This street functions as public-private access which is guarded or protected at night. Previously the area was run-down parking next to the railway tracks, it was now transformed into a green space where there are seats for people who come and rest. The street at Mill City Quarter serves as a parking area for business during the day and at night during weekends. The street also displays historical notes on the trail and allows for a short trip along the Mississippi River (Midtown Community Works).
The landscape of Elliot Street in Auckland has been changed to turn it into a shared street. The street was originally meant for cars, but the curbs and double yellow have not slowed down cars who drive down the street at a fast speed. The markers for curbs and double yellows meant for cars before were changed into stone pavement for pedestrians and some restaurants have extended their tables outside which turned the pavement also into a mini food park. This change has slowed down cars passing by and the surroundings became even more pleasant for pedestrians (Jaffe).
Japan also have their shared streets, the streets were designed mainly for access to pedestrians, cars, bikes and even house some stalls for shopping either for food, fresh fruits and vegetables or clothes. All these shared streets were purposely made safe for both pedestrians and drivers. A good example of this shared street is the shopping district near Ikebukuro station. There is an allotted space for pedestrians to walk safely around while allowing cars to use this road and shopping stalls are operating on the pavement.
The idea of the shared street which is emerging in different places now is to provide access for travel both for pedestrians and drivers and at the same time giving residents, pedestrians, and business owners something to enjoy without worrying about safety. Some streets have been transformed into shared streets for the purpose of reducing accidents caused by reckless or speedy driving especially when using these streets where there are also a lot of residents.
Works Cited
Jaffe, Eric. “6 Places Where Cars, Bikes, and Pedestrians All Share the Road as Equals.” CityLab 23 March 2015. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-23/6-places-where-cars-bikes-and-pedestrians-all-share-the-road-as-equals.
Urban Hub. n.d. https://www.urban-hub.com/cities/smart-city-3-0-ask-barcelona-about-the-next-generation-of-smart-cities/. 26 July 2020.
Works, Midtown Community. “Dutch shared streets emerge as growing trend in United States.” Midtown Community Works 6 July 2017. http://www.midtowncommunityworks.org/news-archive/2017/7/6/dutch-shared-streets-emerge-as-growing-trend-in-the-unites#:~:text=Shared%20streets%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=Shared%20streets%20can%20be%20found,streets%20are%20found%20in%20Minneapolis.