Streetfight is an amazing book, by a woman who against great opposition, turned an area of New York City from gridlocked traffic, to a pedestrian paradise. Now it’s an area for walking, cycling, buses and green spaces. The book basically is a manifesto for other places to do the same, with wisdom and practical tips to make streets safer and nicer to live.
As New York City’s transportation commissioner, the author managed to transform one of the world’s toughest cities into a safe place, lessening congestion and increasing foot traffic, which in turn helped local indie shops. She shows with visuals how to write the ‘source code’ of a street like protected bike paths, crosswalk space and visual cues to reduce speeding. And gives examples of ideas elsewhere like pocket parks in Mexico City and LA, to walking-friendly communities in Auckland and Buenos Aires. And bike-lane designs in Austin, Indianpolis and San Francisco.
Should be read by every officeholder. The Huffington Post
A guidebook to motivate disenchanted urban dwellers, to urge local politicians to make their cities more livable. Booklist
about the author
Janette Sadik-Khan is one of the world’s top experts on urban transport transformation. During her time in charge of New York’s streets, she closed Broadway to cars in Times Square, built nearly 400 miles of bike lanes and created over 60 plazas. Now she works with mayors worldwide, with her people-focused street designs adopted by 45 cities. She lives in New York, USA.