4 Reasons Sidewalks Improve The Quality Of Life

By Author: emilyclark
Total Articles: 6
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Sidewalks and Quality of life? Did you just read the caption right? Yes, we are talking about how the quality of life is directly improved by the availability of sidewalks in New York City! Sidewalks are one of the most underrated objects of urban infrastructure ever contemplated by a common commuter in this city.
Let’s do some contemplation here. How many times a month do you commute by foot? Has your car ever broken down in the middle of a road and you’ve been forced to use the sidewalks instead? Maybe you take your dog for a walk or grab a coffee down the road once in a while – using these sidewalks. All of us come in contact with this beautiful innovation of man at least once a day. So that’s one person using sidewalks every day, all year round. Now multiply that with the 8.5 million population of NYC. The maximum human interaction is on sidewalks every way. You see a group of people gathered together, waiting for the bus to arrive. Then there are another dozen people lined up near a bagel stall or grabbing a quick coffee from the corner of the street.
If you’re walking down the road in the middle ...
... of the day, you might come across musicians and artists showcasing their art to get some dimes in return, where would they go if it weren’t for the sidewalks providing them safe haven to earn enough to put food on the table?
Sidewalks hold much more importance than what you might believe. Let’s give them some due appreciation and go through the benefits sidewalks reap for us.
1. Pedestrian Safety and Easy Traffic Flow
Did you know that in NYC around 180,000 traffic crashes take place annually, out of these there are about 4500 recorded incidents of traffic crashes which result in the death of pedestrians? This danger can be completely eliminated by building spacious sidewalks, allowing the traffic to flow easily without the threat of any crash. The curbs built along the pavements in Queens, Brooklyn and many other urban areas provide for a barrier between the cars and pedestrians. This leads to lesser traffic congestion, improving the capacity and operations of motor vehicles. This regulates the flow of traffic, allows for the bicycles to surf freely and obviously given us on foot commuters some safe room to walk freely. Sidewalks truly are safe havens for pedestrians who prefer the strength of their shins than the tires! Are you also pro-walking?
2. Interpersonal Communication
21st Century has risen in all its glory, revolutionizing our lives, making us tech savvy and increasing our dependency on the tech stuff. While it has definitely made our lives easier, it comes bearing with it some pros and cons – the biggest of these cons is the decreased social interaction between people. This lack of human interactions and social relationships in our lives has not only led to depression but also an increased sense of emptiness among people who don’t experience human interaction very often. The best remedy for people to make new friends is to step out of their comfort zones and make small talk with people. The ideal place to do so is a sidewalk where people from all walks of life meet. Walking on sidewalks gives you the chance to pass a greeting to an acquaintance or meet a neighbor. Help someone pick up an object they accidentally slipped or just casually comment on how nice someone’s scarf looks. You can bump into a complete stranger and that could lead to a blooming friendship. Who knows? Maybe your special someone awaits you at a sidewalk someday, waiting in line for a bagel? Sidewalks give people the room to “breathe” in the urban life and squeeze in some “real-time” social interactions in the buzzing virtual realm of today. They also work as a great place to walk your pets every day without the fear of them bumping into cars. So, yes sidewalks increase the quality of not only your life but also your pets! Pretty sure we’re earning some favorable points for sidewalks here.
3. Environment and Health Friendly
All the environmentalists out there preach this every day. Reduce. Reuse and Recycle. Reduce motor vehicles and their carbon emissions, reuse cycles for commuting and recycle material for making sidewalks! If people of a community choose walking over driving motor vehicles, it greatly benefits the air they breathe in and the society as a whole becomes a better place to live in. Walking and preferring going someplace through bikes or public transportation improves your personal health as well as health of the environment. Walking is the eco-friendliest mode of transportation since time immemorial and a dire need in today’s age of rapidly changing climate. We need to promote sidewalks and actively endorse an ecofriendly lifestyle. It comes as no surprise that the cases of heart diseases and obesity are on the rise in urban areas and people have opted out of any recreational physical activities that were once a core necessity. NYC is known for it uber active and busy lifestyle, sidewalks are the cherry on top for this city!
4. Beautifying the cityscape
If a comparison is drawn between the roads of New York City and any suburban city, the difference would be clear. The existence of sidewalks makes a city look more organized as compared to the hustle of a suburban area where there is no buffer between the walking and motor community. You’ll find people walking at the sides of the roads and waiting long minutes on turns to make sure a buzzing car doesn’t show up. The lack of sidewalks in suburban areas makes it unsafe for pedestrians and pets to move around freely. It also hinders the flow of traffic when a large group of people are passing by or walking at the sides of the main road.
Sidewalks are an important manifest of civil engineering which adorn the cityscape and add to its aesthetic appeal. They make our lives beautiful every day!