Street Allocation for Active Transport

Following social restriction during the pandemic, many cities took the initiatives to redesign and repurpose their streets in hope for more active inclusive use of road space. Halifax, Canada, has reallocated 16 km of its city street since 2020. This intervention is observed to encourage more active transport in the neighbourhood although inclusivity to the demographics of minorities, indigenous and black community are still inadequate. 

Lessons drawn from Halifax that support the success of the initiative include the municipality's proactiveness in taking action early and use existing active transport plans as leverage to create short-, medium- and long-term plans for the initiatives. It is also crucial that the plans are supported by the inhabitants through extensive public engagement. Lastly it is essential that the program go through continuous evaluation to assess elements that are working or need improvements as different street types and different neighbourhoods may require different strategies. 

Reference:

Fischer, J., & Winters, M. (2021). COVID-19 street reallocation in mid-sized Canadian cities: socio-spatial equity patterns. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 112(3), 376-390.

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