Page 33 - U4SSC Factsheet Ålesund, Norway, June 2020

Pedestrian zones tend to improve the local areas in terms of pollution, noise, livability and safety for
pedestrians.

Optimizing urban planning: Creating more pedestrian zones can help Ålesund encourage its citizens
to walk and cycle more, as well as provide more places for people to engage in and create a sense of
community. It is recommended that Ålesund employs the following key guidelines when planning
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and designing such zones:

1. Design for the right speeds: Foot traffic and pedestrian access should be prioritized over automobile
traffic and access. Roadway widths, curvature and intersection design should be optimized for
pedestrian use, not for automobile speed.

2. Consider streets public spaces: Roads, parking lots, pavements, and so on should be planned to
serve more than one mode (cars) and more than one purpose (movement). Roads can be planned
to share space with dedicated bus lanes, cycle lanes, and on-street parking. Parking lots can be
planned and zoned to become public markets on weekends. Pavements can be improved by making
them wide, well-lit, aesthetically pleasing and inviting, and by providing benches, outdoor cafes
and public art.
3. Envision community outcomes: The region’s transportation network should incorporate design
that supports their role as public spaces. Transportation projects should be integrated with land-
use planning that includes creating more attractive places that people will want to visit in new and
existing developments. This can take the form of well-designed bus stops that serve as gathering
places, and multimodal facilities for bus rapid transit or other forms of travel.

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