Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities

holistic, people centred and sustainable notions of prosperity and that are willing to deploy necessary

efforts and resources to move forward in the prosperity path based on their specific local conditions

(Kahn, 1971; UN, 2013a).

It is suggested that sustaining the human dimension in transport planning will in turn sustain the

quality of life and culture of cities that is rooted in and shaped by their history and identity.

Particularly in the context of Islamic megacities, it is very important to preserve local identities and

maintain the balance among local and global values, global mobility and global consumption patterns

(Kunzmann, 2004). In this part, starting from the role of streets, we examine the initiatives and efforts

of developed and developing cities to incorporate the human dimension and the human participation

in transport and urban planning.

3.12.2. Human dimension of developed cities

The expansion of cities in the developed world has been accompanied by changes in land use, both in

terms of form as well as structure. Streets as public spaces lost their importance in terms of their share

of land and their prominent role in shaping the culture and history of cities. Land allocated to streets

in economically developed cities is much lower in suburban areas than in the city core. On average,

most cities have more than 25% of land allocated to streets in their cores while in suburban areas it is

less than 15%. In many cities, the human dimension has been neglected as street space is primarily

allocated to automobile movement. On the other hand, low densities are accompanied by poor

connectivity of streets in suburban areas that limits the opportunities for social interaction (UN,

2013a).

However, there is an increasing concern for the human dimension of city and transport planning that

reflects a distinct and strong demand for better urban quality. A notable example is the New York City

Plaza Programme which forms part of the city’s effort to ensure that all New Yorkers live within a 10

minute walk from a quality open space. According to New York’s Department of Transportation (NYC

DOT), streets make up approximately 25% of the New York’s land area and yet, outside of parks there

are few places to sit, rest, socialize, and to enjoy public life. NYC DOT is currently aiming to create

neighbourhood plazas throughout the City to transformunderused streets into social public spaces. As

part of the NYC Plaza Programme, eligible non-profit organizations can propose new plaza sites for

their neighbourhoods through a competitive application process. DOT prioritizes sites that are in

neighbourhoods that lack open space, and partners with community groups that commit to operate,

maintain, and manage these spaces so they are vibrant pedestrian plazas. For the selected sites DOT

funds the design and construction of the plaza and assists partners in developing a conceptual design

appropriate to the neighbourhood, using to the community input through public visioning workshops

(NYC DOT, 2015).

The creation of Times Square Plaza is probably the most high profile action that forms part of this

programme. Over a six month pilot during the summer of 2009, temporary paving and street furniture

were used to close the streets around Times Square, aiming to improve safety and air quality. The

project proved to be a huge success and NYC DOT is now preparing to make permanent the public

space enhancements that were installed as part of the pilot. In addition, the air quality around Times

Square improved dramatically after the creation of the plaza. The concentrations of Nitrogen Oxide

(NO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO

), two pollutants closely associated with traffic, were among the

highest in the city. After the conversion to a pedestrian plaza, NO pollution levels in Times Square

went down by 63% while, NO

levels went down by 41% (Bloomberg, 2011).

Along with government initiatives, other movements and initiatives led by non-profit organizations,

planners, academics and citizens that are encouraging communities to reclaim their streets,

participate in civic life make a difference in the way public spaces look, function and feel. An example

is the Streets as Places initiative, led by Project for Public Spaces, an international non-profit planning,

design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that

build stronger communities. Streets as Places seeks to engage citizens, planners and the