Amelia Hill April 15, 2010

Five roads that should be pedestrianised

Paris has decided to rid the banks of the Seine of traffic. Where else should cars be a thing of the past? By Amelia Hill

bad roads: La Rambla from the Placa de Catalunya — Barcelona With only two narrow lanes of traffic astride a tree-lined pedestrian walkway, Barcelona’s Las Ramblas is often cited as a success in urban planning. The reality, however, is somewhat different. Hemmed in by the layout, when the shoppers, gadabouts and meanderers are out in force, the pressure pushes them back out: straight into the roads. At such moments, no number of trees or funky shops can conceal the overwhelming impression that the boulevard which cuts through the heart of the city centre is nothing more than a 1.2km-long traffic island.
Photograph: Trevor Buchanan / Alamy/www.alamy.com Photograph: Trevor Buchanan / Alamy/guardian.co.uk

bad roads: bad roads Khao San Road — Bangkok Bangkok has the highest per-capita ownership of Mercedes cars in the world and, judging by appearances, the Khaosan Road is the favourite hangout for every single one of them. Once a plain and simple rice market, the short street in the Phra Nakhon district is now a hub for reversing cars, screeching scooters and tourist coaches. The highlight of Khaosan Road is that traffic doesn’t restrict itself to the road alone. One tourist recently blogged that “a motorbike whipped by me on a sidewalk. And the smog . . . you can literally feel sick in the air pollution.”
Photograph: Neil Setchfield / Alamy/www.alamy.com Photograph: Neil Setchfield / Alamy/guardian.co.uk

bad roads: bad roads The Roman Colosseum — Rome It was quite the thing, in the 17th century, for young men of means on their grand tour to promenade round the Colosseum at moonlight. Today, midnight again seems a good time to stroll past Italy’s most famous landmark. In the dead of night, after all, the Lambrettas and Fiats must – presumably – take a brief pause from their relentless hurtle around the Piazza del Colosseo. The road is not just an aesthetic abomination: the pollution that rises from it has stained the first floor of the building Nero-black. The Venerable Bede said that “as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome”. It has withstood earthquakes. But standing in its amphitheatre, feeling the vibrations from the traffic and tube trains, one can’t help thinking its survival of modern life is less certain.
Photograph: Imacon X5/National Geographic Photograph: Imacon X5/guardian.co.uk

bad roads: bad roads The mall — London Created as a parade route in the early 20th century, the Mall was intended to put ceremonial roads in other cities - including Berlin, Paris and Washington DC - firmly in the shade. But pedestrianised on Sundays and public holidays only, Sir Aston Webb’s Mall has become a free-for-all for every tooting, hooting vehicle inclined to hurtle along it in either direction, from Buckingham Palace to Admiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square. On either side there is a pretence at genteel peace. But as serene as the swans of St James’s Park are, nothing can hide the fact that the flags that line the road do not flap in the peaceful breeze but in the gales of pollution rising from the cars thundering below.
Photograph: Michael Hudson / Alamy/www.alamy.com Photograph: Michael Hudson / Alamy/guardian.co.uk

bad roads: bad roads rodeo drive, california — Los Angeles Asking anyone to feel sorry for Americans troubled by excessive car use might be hard – but no lack of sympathy can conceal the fact that Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California is a traffic-plagued hell on earth. Back when California was part of Mexico in the 18th-century, the road was an Indian trail and considered to be a holy site. Now sacrosanct only for those aspiring to have a Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman experience, those skipping between the Armani, Bulgari, Cartier and Dior boutiques must skip that bit faster to escape the never-ending flow of traffic.
Photograph: MARKA / Alamy/www.alamy.com Photograph: MARKA / Alamy/guardian.co.uk

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