Budapest Car-Free Day / European Mobility Week 2016

Budapest Car-Free Day:

This past weekend, my wife and I took our sons to Budapest's annual "Autómentes Napot" or "Car-Free Day" festival:

The centerpiece of the festival occurred Budapest's grand Andrassy Boulevard, which for the weekend is closed to cars and converted to a pedestrian and bicycle thoroughfare:

For almost 2 1/2 kilometers, the beautiful street is filled with food, drink and fun and engaging activities and displays for the public that focus on methods for reducing energy consumption, emissions, and carbon footprint:

The event was a hit, with thousands in attendance:

In the month leading up to the festival, I had the opportunity to volunteer some time and help one of the main organizers, Zsolt Kovács of A-Z Produkció, to help design the arrangement of the exhibits and other facilities for the central area of the event:

Nemzeti Vágta:

Budapest's Car-Free Day coincides with the "Nemzeti Vágta" or "National Gallop" which occurs in the stunning Hero's Square at the termination of Andrassy Boulevard:

The square is closed to traffic and converted for the weekend with into a truly grand horse racing track featuring riders in traditional garb.  It is a spectacular example of how flexibly a well-designed public space can be used:

European Mobility Week:

Budapest's Car Free Day was just one event that was part of the much larger annual "European Mobility Week".   Over 2,000 cities and towns across Europe participated this year.  Hungary was one of the countries with the greatest level of participation, with 214 cities and towns taking part.

  
As described on the event's website, each European Mobility Week focuses on a particular topic related to sustainable mobility.  Local authorities are required to organize activities for their citizens based on this theme. They are also encouraged to launch and promote permanent measures that support the theme.

This year's theme is "Smart and sustainable mobility – an investment for Europe" and focuses on the connection between smart mobility and a strong economy. 

Interesting observations by the event's organizers include:

• Strengthening local economies is a universally popular goal, but one that many feel lies outside of our control as individuals or communities. Research shows, however, that by making smarter mobility choices we can notably boost public finances.
• Studies indicate that cities that promote sustainable transport are at a significant economic advantage over those that favor traditionally fueled cars. People who travel by active transport modes, such as walking and cycling, are not only more productive at work, they also take fewer sick days and spend less time on average in the doctor’s office.
• And the benefits go far beyond better health. Property values in cities with good cycling facilities and efficient public transport tend to be higher, while children who walk or cycle to school perform better in class.
• Prioritising sustainable transport also benefits the private sector. Reports reveal an increase in trading of up to 40 percent in areas where walking and cycling become the norm. In Copenhagen (Denmark), customers who travel to cities by bicycle spend €2 billion per year - more than those who travel by private vehicle.
• From a governmental standpoint, investing in infrastructure for active travel, encouraging public transport use to reduce traffic congestion, and supporting bike-to-work schemes can save public money and boost local commerce.

Don't "Gold Plate" the Alleys!

I was recently spending time in Cape Charles, VA, a quaint beach town on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.  Founded in 1884, this master-planned railroad and ferry company town has today a great combination of proud historic architecture and a wonderfully laid back vibe:

Cape Charles, VA

The lovely streetscapes of Cape Charles are made possible in part by a system of mid-block alleys which accommodate messy back of house services like trash collection, parking access and utility poles.

One of the great traditional details that can be seen in Cape Charles is the modest treatment of the alleys:

Cape Charles, VA

Detailed like ribbon driveways, they are usually just grass with a pair of gravel stripes for vehicle wheels.  This simple way of making alleys has several benefits:

• Less impervious surface means significantly less water runoff.
• The additional greenery is quite attractive and looks less car-dominant, particularly when looking straight down the alley.
• Lower cost of construction.

I happened upon one alley just as trash collection was occurring and yes, these modest alleys can in fact accommodate normal garbage trucks:

Cape Charles, VA

For comparison...

Take a look at one of today's best-designed new traditional neighborhoods, Celebration, FL which was designed in the 1990s.  The intensity of Celebration's urbanism is comparable to that of Cape Charles:

Celebration, FL

Yet Celebration's alleys are far more elaborate:

Celebration, FL

They are detailed much more like streets, with wide paving and full driveway aprons.  

The alleys of Celebration, like those of Cape Charles, do the very important task of handling messy back of house services so that the streetscapes can be more beautiful and pedestrian-friendly.  

But - these elaborate alleys have several negatives:

• The significantly greater paved area means much more water runoff during storms.
• Views down the alley are dominated by asphalt rather than greenery.
• The added expense of constructing such elaborate alleys makes them less likely to occur.  Expensive alleys can weigh very heavily on a developer's pro-forma and can even sometimes lead to a decision to abandon a pedestrian-friendly traditional neighborhood format altogether.

So remember - alleys needn't be elaborate to be highly effective!

BTW: If you're interested in learning more about the design details of great streets, I highly recommend the book Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns by Dover, Kohl & Partners' own Victor Dover and his co-author John Massengale: