Redesigning a city block

What if there were no cars?

👋 Hi friends, it's Hesam with issue #34 of 4 bits. 4 bits is a biweekly newsletter where I share thoughts and musings on how to build memorable experiences.

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🎶 Here’s what I’ve been listening to: Tinlicker feat. Julia Church - Glasshouse (Spotify).

Last week, for the first time in years, I went to a concert. I saw Tinlicker, an electronic dance music artist from the Netherlands, perform live. Micha and Jordi, the Tinlicker duo, were on stage with synths, drum pads, and keyboards making and mixing tracks in real-time.

I had forgotten what it felt like to be in a space where the sound is bigger than you could possibly imagine, shaking you to the core. Or the arc from start to finish of a live performance that takes you on a journey.

In another era, I’d be nudging my way to the front, optimizing for the perfect view, taking as many photos and videos as possible. In this era of my life though, I’m standing in the back, enjoying the sound, and trying to take in every moment.

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A bold experiment

Last summer, I walked out of my Amsterdam hotel and paused. Something was different about the street.

There were no cars.

In the middle of the street were flower pots, benches, and places for people to lounge.

The street outside of my hotel, Weesperstraat, was closed for six weeks to motorized traffic. Photo credit: indebuurt

I remembered seeing cars travel this street before. What happened?

After talking to my friend who lives in Amsterdam, I learned the city of Amsterdam was conducting an experiment.

City officials wanted to explore a question: What would happen if they closed Weesperstraat (the street where my hotel was) and surrounding streets to motorized traffic between 6 am and 11 pm for six weeks?

28,000 vehicles drive down that street every day. And now, the street had turned into a place to walk, gather, and enjoy the (occasionally) sunny summer weather.

It turns out this experiment is part of a bigger shift towards slowing down the city.

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Slow zones

Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.

— Jane Jacobs

Removing cars completely may not be practical in the short-term, but more cities in Europe are increasing the number of slow zones, streets where the speed limit is comically low to prioritize people over cars.

Over 80% of the streets in Amsterdam now have a speed limit of 30 km/h. That’s approximately 19 miles an hour, which is less than the speed of school zones in the United States.

What happens when the speed limit goes down?

A snapshot of data from the MIT Senseable Lab’s research on slow zones in Paris. The red indicates where social activity is happening.

While we were in Amsterdam during my study abroad course in the summer, we visited MIT’s Senseable Lab. At the Senseable Lab, researchers study cities and how urban design interacts with digital information and networks. Recently, they’ve researched the impact of slow zones.

Gathering data in Paris over 5 years, they discovered that slow zones increased the “human activity” and social mixing in the area.

This could be a combination of multiple factors, including reduced pollution and noise, increased bike infrastructure and accessibility, increased amenities in the area due to higher demand, and a perception of greater safety.

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The results of the Amsterdam experiment

Six weeks of no motorized traffic on Weesperstraat produced mixed results.

Residents loved it. There was 18 percent less car traffic in the area and car traffic in all of Amsterdam decreased by 3 percent. There were quality of life improvements too. Air quality improved by 14 percent and sound levels were lower.

"There is really no reason at all to maintain the motorway to the center. Close it permanently, turn it into a beautiful park and I promise: in a year we will all be happier.”
— a resident referring to the Weesperstraat experiment (source)

But not everyone was satisfied. 74% of road users commuting through the area, who were mostly car drivers, taxi drivers, and entrepreneurs weren’t happy. On the edges of the street closures, traffic increased significantly. The residents in that area were angry at the traffic jams that were populating outside their homes.

Ultimately, the city decided that they would not continue exploring closing down the street for the foreseeable future.

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While this experiment didn’t result in permanent change, I find it fascinating that city planners are trying to find ways to reverse the decisions of the past.

Instead of getting from point A to point B faster, we’re slowing down.

And by trying out different tactics, from removing vehicles to creating slow zones, they’re making efforts to redesign city blocks to be a place where people can connect, gather, and enjoy their surroundings at human speed.