Leading international city planner finds Australian cities a nightmare for pedestrians, Sydney being the worst

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A leading international city planner is calling for the 2020 summit to consider radical changes to the way Australians live, work and move around their cities.

Prominent Danish urban designer Professor Jan Gehl says Australia's obsession with cars comes at the expense of the liveability of its big cities and the health of its citizens.

...

The Professor says his studies have found that walking through Australia's inner cities is like "jumping between ice flows".

He says slip lanes, difficult crossings and one-way streets are creating a treacherous experience for pedestrians, and Sydney is the worst for it.

"The effect on the people has been rather severe," he said.

"When we started recently in Sydney, we found that in certain streets, half the walking time was spent waiting to cross the street...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/17/2219693.htm

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

<<shakes head>>

Not like it used to be

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

must be the lousy infrastructure

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

<<shakes head>>

Not like it used to be

Or maybe Sydney has always sucked.

[Jenn! 918]

Ugh, who would want to live in Australia, it sounds horrible there.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

And it sounds like it has sucked for quite a while. Here is an article from 2005:

Crowded, polluted and a mess – the fix list for Sydney

By Darren Goodsir and Tim #######

May 30, 2005

Sydney groans under the weight of its rapidly growing population; public transport is chaotic, unreliable and sometimes unsafe; roads are congested; impossible demands cause energy, land, housing and water shortages; and five decades of official complacency on planning has left the Carr Government struggling to meet community expectations.

Clearly, Sydney cannot continue living, consuming and travelling in the same greedy, unsustainable way.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I blame the aboriginies for their inability to assimilate into modernity.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I blame the aboriginies for their inability to assimilate into modernity.

Lay of the juice, brother

[mawilson 2,133]

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I blame the aboriginies for their inability to assimilate into modernity.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I blame the aboriginies for their inability to assimilate into modernity.

Those bastards!

Quick! Set up the detainment camps!

[Heracles 417]

must be the lousy infrastructure

Like this from New Jersey: :rofl: :rofl:

New Jersey drivers:

Beauuuuuuutiful

Edited April 18, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Heracles 417]

<<shakes head>>

Not like it used to be

Probably because so many Brits are moving there and congesting the roads..

A leading international city planner is calling for the 2020 summit to consider radical changes to the way Australians live, work and move around their cities.

Prominent Danish urban designer Professor Jan Gehl says Australia's obsession with cars comes at the expense of the liveability of its big cities and the health of its citizens.

...

The Professor says his studies have found that walking through Australia's inner cities is like "jumping between ice flows".

He says slip lanes, difficult crossings and one-way streets are creating a treacherous experience for pedestrians, and Sydney is the worst for it.

"The effect on the people has been rather severe," he said.

"When we started recently in Sydney, we found that in certain streets, half the walking time was spent waiting to cross the street...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/17/2219693.htm

Interesting because:

Sydney scoops global title for city branding - 2008

For the second consecutive year, Sydney has been named the world's best city 'brand' ahead of global destinations like London, Paris and Rome.

Sydney ranked world's best city

Sydney: Best City Ever

Sydney voted best city- again

Edited April 18, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Best city, as long as you're not on foot.

Some city. Freakin' pathetic.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Probably - perhaps the Aussies need to take back their country from "damn furriners" who are "stealin' all he jobs".