Hamburg is planning to make cars superfluous in the next 15-20 years

[marmar]

X-posted in Public Transportation and Smart Growth: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1130


A Greenspace Transit Network To Connect A City's Parks To The Countryside
Hamburg is building such an ambitious infrastructure that in a decade or two, residents may never have to get in their cars again.


Many cities have grand plans for adding walking and biking infrastructure. What makes Hamburg's Grünes Netz (Green Network) different is the extent. Germany's second biggest city wants green links connecting all major parks, playgrounds, community gardens, and cemeteries, covering about 40% of the city's area. In 20 years, it hopes people will get around without ever needing motorized transport.



Hamburg already has large contiguous green spaces: "landscape axes" finger out from its center to its outskirts and there are two big green loops in the north and south. The Grünes Netz will fill in what's missing, connecting up more places and creating a comprehensive system. Angelika Fritsch, a city spokesperson told the Guardian:

Other cities, including London, have green rings, but the green network will be unique in covering an area from the outskirts to the city centre. In 15 to 20 years you'll be able to explore the city exclusively on bike and foot.

The paper also describes how Hamburg plans to use the design to get more people visiting nature on the edge of the city:

Fritsch's team envisions a network that doesn't just help residents get from point A to point B in a sustainable fashion. "It will offer people opportunities to hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics and restaurants, experience calm and watch nature and wildlife right in the city", she explains. "That reduces the need to take the car for weekend outings outside the city.."

.................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3020990/heres-an-idea/a-greenspace-transit-network-to-connect-a-citys-parks-the-countryside?partner=rss

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[progressoid]

2. Wow. Very good.

[KamaAina]

3. Wunderbar!

Are they also adding public transit infrastructure? Hamburg seems a bit too large to manage entirely on foot or even by bike.

[marmar]

5. I visited in '05, and the public transit infrastructure was already excellent, but......

...... I would imagine it would need to be expanded to meet such a goal.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. The claims at CoExist are quite different from the The Guardian

and the Guardian is the one that talked to someone from Hamburg. The quote says you'll be able to get around between all the green spaces on foot or bicycle; the point presumably being that some people don't like sharing roads with motor vehicles. It doesn't say anything about "making cars superfluous", let alone never needing "motorized transport" of any sort for the city. It's a large place; people have needs to move faster than biking speed, or to carry more than they can while walking or riding several miles. And Hamburg, as far as the Guardian article is concerned, is not sayign anything like that they'll never need motorized transport. I can't see where CoExist has got that from at all.