Introduction
Copenhagen has long been celebrated as a global pioneer in reclaiming streets and squares for people. Beginning with the pedestrianization of Strøget in 1962, the city demonstrated how removing cars from key corridors could spark vibrant street life, boost local businesses, and shift public habits away from driving. Today, Copenhagen’s network of protected cycle tracks, widened sidewalks, and traffic-calmed plazas forms the backbone of a mobility system where walking and biking are the easiest, safest and often fastest choices for residents.
Central to “How to Make Cities Walkable” is a set of design strategies that prioritize human scale and multimodal balance. Narrower vehicle lanes and raised crossings slow traffic, while parklet-style seating, street trees, and clear signage create inviting public spaces. Innovative square refurbishments—like the pedestrianization of Pusher Street in Freetown Christiania, where the main road was closed to cars and transformed into a shared public corridor with market stalls, bike parking, and loose seating—demonstrate how bottom-up, context-driven design can foster walkable, bike-friendly environments without relying on heavy infrastructure intervention