Category Archives: Pedestrian infrastructure

Parts of the Petite Ceinture are being turned into recreational paths

The Petite Ceinture (“little belt”) was a mid-19th-century railroad line that ran in a circle around Paris. Its right-of-way was just inside the Boulevards des Maréchaux, which in turn were generally just inside the 19th-century city fortifications where the Boulevard … Continue reading

Posted in Pedestrian infrastructure, Rail infrastructure, Transportation, Urban | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mumbai’s seaside “promenades”

Large Indian cities tend to be difficult places for pedestrians. In many areas, there are no sidewalks at all, and such sidewalks as exist tend to be in bad shape. Pavers are often missing. Substantial holes are common. There are … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Riyadh’s new Metro (and some associated landscape features)

I spent several days in Riyadh in October. I was particularly interested in riding Riyadh’s new Metro, all 176 kilometers of which opened in December 2024 and January 2025—an astonishingly quick opening of a substantial new system. I also wanted … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway

When I was in Jersey City last month, I naturally noticed the recreational trail along the Hudson. A little research revealed that it’s part of an entity called the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway that’s planned to run between Bayonne and … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tale of two cities: Milan and Rome

I visited both Milan and Rome late last fall. I spent a few days in Milan in mid-November and a few days in Rome in mid-December. I’d been to both cities several times over the years but not since 2012. … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Miami’s Underline trail is extended

The recreational path known as the Miami Underline grew by 2.1 miles (3.4 km) on April 24. The Miami Underline, when finished, will run along Miami’s (mostly) elevated railroad, Metrorail, between Brickell, just south of downtown Miami, and South Dadeland, … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Strasbourg builds “pedestrian arterials”

Governments of most cities in Western Europe have been trying over the last thirty (or more) years to reduce the role of the automobile in urban transportation. They’ve built new rail lines and renovated old ones. They’ve created elaborate bicycle … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

New or newish rail transit lines and pedestrian facilities in Istanbul

I’ve been in Istanbul twice in the last few weeks, first in early May, then in mid-June. Except for a couple of stops at the enormous new airport, I had last been in Istanbul in 2014. Between 1969 and 2014, … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Seville

I spent several days in Seville last month. I had previously been less familiar with Seville than with any of Spain’s larger cities (I did spend a few hours walking around there in 2010). Like just about every other city … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mexico City tries to mitigate its car problem

I’ve been in Mexico City twice in the last couple of months, first in mid-January and then in late February. Except for a very brief visit in 2013, these were my first trips to Mexico City in something like twenty-five … Continue reading

Posted in Urban, Transportation, Rail infrastructure, Pedestrian infrastructure | Tagged | Leave a comment