Pedestrianization - Before & After

Check out this awesome gallery collaboration from archdaily.com and urb-i of 30 different streets successfully redesigned with people in mind. Here's an example, Ford Street, from Auckland:

(much much better, isn't it?)

h/t to @thisbigcity and @SteveDombek for tweeting

Narrow Isn't Enough (Kill the Curb!)

(this is how to do it)

In this addition to his Traditional City series, Nathan Lewis elaborates on how simply having a narrow street isn't enough to create a successful place designed for people. The existence of significant curbs on many narrow streets around the world delegates a separate place for cars and a separate place for people, even inadvertently. Read on!

Narrow Streets for People 4: Organizing the Street

Read about alley redevelopment

Here's a really good article ("Cities Give Alleys New Life") on some recent alley redevelopment projects, including several in San Francisco. This type of development is a successful way to encourage people-sized streets and places by utilizing unused/rundown spaces that already exist in our cities.

Related:
2 American Alleyways Repurposed as Narrow Streets

Lockerbie Square, Indianapolis

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A pretty good example (at least for the States) of a pleasant single-family residential neighborhood with narrow-ish streets. Cut down the width by about 5-10 or so and it'd look like a Japanese neighborhood. The trees completely covering the streets are nice too.