In a time when we’re required to maintain physical distance to protect public health, streets need to do more than ever. And as we transition slowly from crisis to recovery, our streets must provide better, safer options for everyone. Mike Lydon was quoted in this CNN Business article about the need to configure our streets to support walking, biking, and high-frequency transit to aid in the country’s economic recovery.
As COVID-19 has made clear, our streets support more than just movement. Around the world, streets are providing space so people can safely access food and essential services. Our streets provide places for queuing outside grocery stores, markets, and essential businesses. As restrictions are lifted, especially prior to full disease containment or the development of a
vaccine, streets can provide room for restaurants and shops to serve customers outdoors, and for schools and daycares to resume care, allowing businesses to reopen and more people to return, safely, to work.
To read more about adapting streets for pandemic recovery, you can download the Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery guide that Street Plans developed in collaboration with NACTO, Bloomberg Associates, and Sam Schwartz Consulting.