Below is a link to some early 20th-century footage shot from a tram progressing along a US city street teeming with people on foot, horse-drawn carts, motor vehicles, trams – all human life is here, in all its beautiful, harmonious chaos. Not a yellow line, parking meter, speed limit, speed camera or traffic light in sight, yet everyone merges in a merry mix (illustrating beautifully what Equality Streets, FiT Roads and shared space are all about). It may not seem wholly relevant to today’s car-dominated cities – but isn’t it urban maldesign which has allowed vehicles to dominate at the expense of other street life (which the likes of Ben Hamilton-Baillie and East Cheshire Council are seeking to remedy)? The footage shows how different road-users can co-exist in harmony given equal rights, and given responsibility for choosing gentle speeds in perfect accord with the social context. (Shame about the music track, but feast your eyes on the pictures. It lasts about 8 minutes, but is worth viewing to the delightful end.) Thanks to Chad Dornsife for sending it. Clip here.
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