I have been developing an interest in urban planning recently. So when we went to hear from Gil Penalosa, the Detroit Future City keynote speaker, I was fascinated by everything he had to say. He presented great approaches such as ‘8 to 80,’ and ‘Pedestrians first.’ His lecture made me realize that I have always underestimated the importance of bike lanes, wide sidewalks, green spaces, etc. They have positive implications that outsize their costs; healthier residents, more inclusive communities, and significantly more eco-friendly cities. He also made the striking claim that the problem is never a lack of resources but a lack of political will. As he said that, I thought about the cities that I have lived in, from Cairo and Baghdad to Ann Arbor and Detroit. There is so much that these cities’ planners could and should do to promote social and environmental justice. But they haven’t because they didn’t want to rather then they couldn’t?
Detroit city councilwomen, Raquel Castaneda-Lopez backed that claim with an example as she participated in a panel discussion after the lecture. She spoke of the lack of political will that holds back any initiatives that might reduce car use in Detroit. At one point in her career, she was told that she is going to destroy the auto industry if she makes it easier for pedestrians.
I think it’s hard to not catch the urban planning bug while you’re in Detroit! There’s so much potential, and there’s a lot of room for Detroit to pave the way as it’s given a “second chance” so to speak. Gil Penalosa’s presentation was so interesting! It really got me thinking about the way we tend to value cars and roads above people and public health. I can understand where the mindset comes from in the “Motor City” but I think it’s silly to assume that making the city more accessible to walkers/bikers will ruin the auto industry. People will still buy cars! But for the people who can’t afford to own a car, the city will open up!
I took my first bike ride around Detroit this past Friday. While I was less nervous riding around this city than I am in Ann Arbor, it’s still very obvious that the road is not intended for bikers. Thinner traffic made it easier to navigate across wide roads, but bike lanes often had parked cars of traffic barrels in them. I really hope that the protected bike lanes on Jefferson are a hit and inspire more protected bike lanes around the city! Like you said, it’s not that we don’t have the ability (the streets here are very wide! definitely planned for a population bigger than exists here today. Repurposing the space shouldn’t too difficult), but we need the political will behind it.