Op Ed: Can sky bridges make a comeback?
Cities across the nation, including Seattle and Portland in the West, Dallas and Austin in the South, and Raleigh and Charleston in the East, are growing rapidly. The millennial generation is accelerating urbanization and more and more empty nesters are heading to cities in search of walkable, complete neighborhoods (Dure, 2014). As a result, many cities are responding to this growth by creating compact, transit-oriented neighborhoods in their downtowns. As cities change and develop, it is essential that safe, pedestrian-oriented designs are utilized to promote active modes of transportation. These types of designs not only improve safety and accessibility, but they can have positive health outcomes. The United States is also faced with an ageing population, and it is becoming increasingly important to plan ahead to ensure that cities are more accessible and safe for the elderly. One way growing cities in East Asia, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, are catering their urban design to pedestrians is through the proliferation of sky bridges. Sky bridges are largely a legacy of the 1960s and 1970s, but it may be time for them to make a comeback. As urban populations grow, congestion is increasing and many street blocks are disrupted with the construction of new residential, office and commercial space. These changes make it increasingly dangerous to walk around cities. It may be time for some American cities to find alternatives to sidewalks.
Figure 1. Skybridge in Hong Kong
Source: Expatlingo.com
In 2000, 12.4 percent of the population in the United States was over the age of 65, and by 2030, the number of older Americans will double. Providing transportation for the elderly is becoming a key issue in transportation policy debates. According to a study conducted by the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California, almost three-quarters of the elderly population lives in metropolitan areas, and three-quarters of this population lives in suburbs (Rosenbloom, 2003). However, in recent years, more empty nesters are ditching their suburban homes for condos in cities. Urban neighborhoods are often more appealing because they are walkable and convenient. In fifteen to twenty years, these empty nesters will make up a significant portion of the elderly population, and they will have greater accessibility needs. Sky bridges that are linked by elevators, and allow people to move freely through the city, are a safer alternative to sidewalks, especially in crowded cities. Many sidewalks in cities are not equip with curb ramps, so it can be difficult for the elderly population, or people living with disabilities, to make their way around the cities on foot. Sky bridges would allow for an uninterrupted, leisurely walk. Sky bridges can also serve as a refuge from heat waves. For example, In Hong Kong, sky bridges are usually air conditioned (Lanyon, 2013). Climate-controlled pedestrian walkways would have positive health impacts for the elderly population, who are often more sensitive to heat.
Studies show that promoting safe walking can improve public health. Currently, the United States has a lower mode share for walking and biking combined than the majority of Western countries including Canada, England, Wales and France (Pucher, 2003). Since the majority of US cities are designed around cars, many people do not feel safe walking or biking around cities. In the United States, non motorist fatality rates are also far higher than in Germany or the Netherlands. Pedestrians are also six times more likely to get killed in an accident than Dutch pedestrians (Pucher, 2003). The good news is that there is still a lot that can be done to make walking safer in the United States. Safer facilities for pedestrians, especially in compact, densely-populated neighborhoods, where amenities are within walking distance (within a ½ mile), is essential to encouraging more Americans to walk. Sky bridges are a safe alternative to walking on sidewalks since the pedestrian is completely separated from cars. Without safety risks to worry about, more Americans will be encouraged to walk. Being more active will improve people’s wellbeing and fight the obesity epidemic that is plaguing the country.
Figure 2. Mode share of Bicycling and Walking, by country
Source: Transportation Research Board,29 Table 2–2, p. 30.
As cities continue to grow across the nation and new developments are popping up everywhere, it is critical that municipal governments work with developers to promote urban design oriented towards people, not cars. Although the car culture persists in the United States, improving pedestrian infrastructure, allowing people to feel safer while walking, could substantially reduce the dependency on the car in urban areas. Although cities in the US are nowhere near as dense as some cities in East Asia, taking pedestrians off the ground onto sky bridges may start to look more appealing as cities continue to expand.
References
Bylander, E. (2015, March 25). Empty nesters say goodbye to kids and hello to urban condos. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/03/25/empty-nesters-say-goodbye-to-kids-and-hello-to-urban-condos/?utm_term=.4c577e844280
Donahue, R. (2011, May 13). Pedestrians and Park Planning: How Far Will People Walk? City Parks Blog. Retrieved from https://cityparksblog.org/2011/05/13/pedestrians-and-park-planning-how-far-will-people-walk/
Dure, B. (2014, October 21). Millennials Continue Urbanization of America, Leaving Small Towns. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2014/10/21/357723069/millennials-continue-urbanization-of-america-leaving-small-towns
Lanyon, C. (2013, March 19). Hong Kong’s Growing Network of Walkways. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1193774/hong-kongs-growing-network-walkways
Pucher, John, and Lewis Dijkstra. (2003). Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons From The Netherlands and Germany.. American Journal of Public Health 93, no. 9. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448001/
Rosenbloom, S. (2003) The Mobility Needs of Older Americans. The Brookings Institution. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20030807_Rosenbloom.pdf
Donahue, R. (2011, May 13). Pedestrians and Park Planning: How Far Will People Walk? City Parks Blog. Retrieved from https://cityparksblog.org/2011/05/13/pedestrians-and-park-planning-how-far-will-people-walk/
Dure, B. (2014, October 21). Millennials Continue Urbanization of America, Leaving Small Towns. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2014/10/21/357723069/millennials-continue-urbanization-of-america-leaving-small-towns
Lanyon, C. (2013, March 19). Hong Kong’s Growing Network of Walkways. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1193774/hong-kongs-growing-network-walkways
Pucher, John, and Lewis Dijkstra. (2003). Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons From The Netherlands and Germany.. American Journal of Public Health 93, no. 9. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448001/
Rosenbloom, S. (2003) The Mobility Needs of Older Americans. The Brookings Institution. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20030807_Rosenbloom.pdf
Written by: Sophie Turnbull-Appell
I love the idea of a "sky bridge" and always enjoy walking through one when presented with the opportunity. I am most impressed when these bridges can seamlessly blend function and form, creating a space that is as enjoyable to use as it is safe. The perfect example for me is the High Line in New York. When you're interacting with this open space, mingling with roofs of nearby buildings, it is easily forgotten that you're safely traversing New York City without the very real danger of automobile traffic in the city.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the addition of sky bridges in US cities like Portland can be enabling of thew automobile's possession of the ground floor. With pedestrians out of the way, the streets will be more and more free for the right of way of the automobile. This will create an even more hostile environment for the pedestrian vs vehicle mindset which already plagues our streets.
In contrast, if we stand for the improvement and safety of pedestrian infrastructure that shares space with streets, the streets will become safer for all.
Any time I can conveniently walk along a sky bridge, I appreciate it, but usually they are too inconvenient. Taking an elevator or staircase up, and back down is frustrating when there is ground below that could be a straight path if only cars weren’t in the way. I agree that urban design should be for people, not cars, but making people go up over and down, while cars drive uninterrupted in a straight line just demonstrates that cars are the priority. The pedestrian bridge over I-84 in Hollywood is a nightmare, especially with a bike or wheelchair.
ReplyDeleteStreet level retailers that rely on pedestrians might not appreciate all the potential customers being diverted to another path above. However, sky bridges could be awesome if they have the right amenities, heat, A/C, free coffee, art installations, etc. I have an idea that might sound counter-productive, but I wonder if more people would get exercise if sidewalks moved like at the airport. It takes less effort than walking, but if people could stand and roll, then they might not sit and wait for the bus or drive cars.
Love this idea as well! They can also be retrofitted in certain (colder) areas to provide an enclosed space with windows that would be more appealing for pedestrians during the winter months. I think some cities in Minnesota have ped bridges like that. And to the extent that something like a sky bridge can deconflict certain corridors, the safety benefits are potentially big.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wonder if sky bridges would work with mixed-use neighborhoods that often rely on (or are designed to attract) street-level foot traffic. In those places, would pedestrians would use the sky bridge, or would they find it too inconvenient since it would presumably lengthen the amount of walking time?
In a different context, I remember seeing an ITDP webinar on BRT in East Africa, and the presenter actually mentioned that a skybridge for pedestrians to access the BRT station (e.g. if it's in the middle of a busy two-way street, and the bridge went over the street to the station in the middle) might limit overall ridership at that station since going up, over, and down could take 2-3 times as long as just going straight across. So many peds would simply cross the street at grade -- or many others wouldn't use that station.
That said, sky bridges seem like a cool idea in many situations, particularly if they provide more direct connection points between buildings than the street grid provides at ground level. And they can also be aesthetically pleasing, and a nice experience for peds to view neighborhoods from above.