Oxford Street in London Photo: Wikipedia
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How walkable is your city? London, Hong Kong put pedestrians first

16 Comments
By Rina Chandran

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16 Comments
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Osaka certainly isn't that walkable; the car traffic isn't so bad around my area, but the cyclists are deadly!!!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I hope that something good can come out of this pandemic. Things like working from home and home schooling have certainly been front and center of the "new normal", but not enough has been said of the decrease in public transport use and the use of cycling and walking as legitimate means of transport. Good to see the light shone on this subject.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japan is very walkable. People walk in the middle of roads. avoid using side walks, walk in front and rear of you while you are parking your car in car parks, walk on red light pedestrian crossings- yes very walkable. And yes, as Howaltosen says, the cyclists are deadly.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

London? What a good laugh! 90% pedestrians don't follow the rules. Drivers honking and yelling, Cyclists twisting and turning at any roads. People play their direction with their mobile.

About Hong Kong, the best thing are those pedestrian fence on every roads. I think, this is very much necessary in every country. Even Japan doesn't have this, really surprising.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

The cities of Paris, London, Bogota and Hong Kong are among the most walkable in the world, ............

but can you / would you walk anywhere, 24 hours a day? Until 5 years ago I lived in Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world, for 18 years and there's nowhere there that I wouldn't walk at any time of day or night. This is certainly true of the small Japanese city I live in now and am sure is true of almost everywhere else in Japan.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Half the streets in Japan don't have pavements/sidewalks! Sick and tired of cars brushing against me.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Cities are only walkable if they have trees, seats, parks etc. as well as accessible shops, healthcare and other essential services nearby. London is not a car friendly city, never has been as it was founded 2000 before cars. Unless you have mobility issues you do not need a car in London.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Hmm..rules, You don't walk on zebra crossing when vehicles passing on their lights. You don't cross that road when drivers driving/turning left/right. Cyclists biking on pavement.

Looks like nobody knows the safetyness of pedestrian fence gate in Hong Kong.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Yeah, London’s well cool for a nice stroll. If yer can avoid gettin stabbed on da way.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Interesting is this phenomenon, if you are walking all the cars are faster and if you drive in a car all the walkers are faster...lol

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why is there an assumption that everyone wants to walk places? I drive a car or ride a motorcycle because I don't want to have to walk to stores and carry everything home in a push basket.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I wish more cities, e.g. in Western countries like U. S., would consider some of the Japanese ideas, such as "Hokousha Tengoku" or "Hokoten" (Pedestrian Paradise) where streets are temporarily closed for pedestrians only on particular days during Spring.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I wish more cities, e.g. in Western countries like U. S., would consider some of the Japanese ideas, such as "Hokousha Tengoku" or "Hokoten" (Pedestrian Paradise) where streets are temporarily closed for pedestrians only on particular days during Spring.

It is a common thing in US cities. Not every city of course but some.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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