Interesting Films

Glassboy

A brilliant short film which creatively prompts us to reflect on the need to reduce speed.

Copenhagen’s Car-Free Streets & Slow-Speed Zones

Another great video from Streetfilms.  Since the early 1960s, 18 parking lots in the downtown area have been converted into public spaces for playing, meeting, and generally just doing things that human beings enjoy doing. Most Copenhagen's city streets have a speed limit of 30 to 40 km/h.  Even more impressive, there are blocks in some neighborhoods with limits as low as 15 km/h where cars must yield to residents. 

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

This is a great film (9.19 mins) that really explains why Victoria Walks exisits.

China Green Pedestrian Crossing Green Awards Winner

Watch this fantastic tree come to life in the busy streets of China.  With burgenoning car ownership clogging the streets of China, the China Environmental Protection Foundation is keen to get more people walking and less driving. 

Moving beyond the automobile: Traffic calming

The most effective traffic calming features are those that force traffic to "behave in a civilized manor,"  Traffic calming is any measure taken to reduce traffic speeds, improve safety, and over all make using the street a better experience for everyone.  This video highlights some great examples. 

What great traffic calming features work well in your neighborhood?

No Need for Speed: 20’s Plenty for Us

20's Plenty for Us is a UK campaign to drop the speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph (about 30 kmh).  In the UK, some 3 million people live in areas with 20 mph speed limits. The experience there shows that not only do slower speeds save lives, it has wide-ranging benefits including less traffic, increased walking and biking, greater independence for children, the elderly and infirm, better health, and calmer driving conditions for motorists.

Traffic Calming: Postcards from London

Check out new street designs in London shopping districts and residential neighborhoods. In many cases, these traffic calming treatments -- including raised crosswalks, traffic diverters, and chicanes -- go further than what we've seen in New York City so far. The attention to detail has created a truly balanced street environment, enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists while maintaining access for the trucks and cars that need to use the road.

Donald Appleyard’s Livable Streets

This interesting video is about Donald Appleyard's ground breaking work showing the impact of 'Liveable Streets' on traffic in neighbourhood streets and its effect on people's social interactions and quality of life. 

Built to Last

An award winning film on the impact of urban sprawl, why we need walkable communities, and what redesigned (walkable) cities would look like .

Fantastic 1940's British Public Service Announcement

Wonderful old English PSA on Pedestrian Crossings

Safe Delhi for Women - Together we can make a difference

A one minute animated film from India about the power of community!

Seattle Crosswalk: Tap foot, Lights blink, Cross street (121 secs)

A unique pedestrian-activated crosswalk in Seattle that blinks as people cross. Rather than pressing a button to manually begin the crossing cycle, a walker's feet/wheels touch the footpath and this activates the lights that line the crosswalk!

What is a chicane? (25 secs)

A fun short animation from StreetFilms that explains what is a Chicane.

Installing a raised crosswalk