The closures started ~2007 and were gradual. First, traffic was limited to buses and people who lived there, and only a street or two were closed off. Then it slowly got closed to all traffic and expanded to almost the entire old city centre (and it's still expanding). The change was far from universally welcomed intially, but I don't think the mayor is exaggerating when he estimates that today 90% of people would vote to keep it closed. It takes some time, but the feeling of the city changes completely when it becomes pedestrian-focused...
I've been spending a lot of time in NYC lately and was also there 2 weeks ago during the storm and the closure of all roads. I felt like I got a peek into what it would look like if it underwent the same transformation :) If not a full closure of Manhattan to cars, the underground trash containers, at least, they should adopt.
It would be cool if SF tried closing part of Chestnut or Columbus or Union or one of those...
This is what the place from the first photo in the article used to look like, before it was closed off for cars:
1. http://images0.zurnal24.si/slika-_original-1384956871-965531...
2. http://www.ljubljana-summit.gov.si/icons/foto/lj-tromostovje...
These two are a couple decades earlier even, but you get the idea:
1. http://www.delo.si/assets/media/picture/20150121/Tromostovje...
2. http://www.renton.si/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1978-tromost...
The closures started ~2007 and were gradual. First, traffic was limited to buses and people who lived there, and only a street or two were closed off. Then it slowly got closed to all traffic and expanded to almost the entire old city centre (and it's still expanding). The change was far from universally welcomed intially, but I don't think the mayor is exaggerating when he estimates that today 90% of people would vote to keep it closed. It takes some time, but the feeling of the city changes completely when it becomes pedestrian-focused...
I've been spending a lot of time in NYC lately and was also there 2 weeks ago during the storm and the closure of all roads. I felt like I got a peek into what it would look like if it underwent the same transformation :) If not a full closure of Manhattan to cars, the underground trash containers, at least, they should adopt.
It would be cool if SF tried closing part of Chestnut or Columbus or Union or one of those...