This Spanish Mayor Is Putting Pedestrians First

For decades, throngs of cars clogged the cobblestone streets of Pontevedra’s medieval downtown, making this seaside city on Spain’s northwestern tip a hard place to live. Loud noise and narrow walkways drove pedestrians, and therefore young families, away from a region struggling with a shrinking and aging population. Family physician turned mayor Miguel Fernandez Lores managed to halt the bleeding by closing many streets to car traffic. Now the city is a model of success in a growing global movement that's trying to reclaim streets for pedestrians.

#citylab #españa #cities
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[Jason-gqfo]

This is how it should be in every city

[StrawberryMilkkTeaa]

This man deserves a raise, this beautiful city just got more beautiful without all those cars parked along the streets or stuck in traffic lol

[MariaFernandez-zcke]

Beautiful city with an enviable quality of life, an international model of urban planning.

[pointblank]

Beautiful. Also the old-timey pictures of the city look exactly like the city I live in NOW

[TQV_]

I was there a couple of years ago and I loved it! It is great to see people everywhere, kids walking to school, or people in the evenings sitting and chatting. I would love to live there if I could! Plus, the food is amazing!

[MrTomtomtest]

This mayor understands urban design better than all urban planners, whose job it is, in the USA....

[Martin_Priesthood]

Great job. .👍 very attractive city.🙏❤️✨

[techcafe]

"15-minute cities" would obviate the need for driving your car within the city, because essentially everything you and your neighbours need or desire: grocery, pharmacy, medical, restaurants, entertainment, etc… and hopefully some nature too, would all be within walking distance of your home or apartment. we don't WALK nearly enough. 15-minute cities would probably improve our overall health too! and pedestrian deaths caused by motor vehicles would plummet. what's not to like.

[MrSelfDestruct-]

"Putting pedestrians first" must be an extremely alien concept to Americans.

[SmartLifestyleGuide]

A huge respect for the PM for such a great initiative 🙏

[Sr_art_]

That's right. Our feet also a mode of transportation.

[MichelleCarithersAuthor]

what a fantastic idea!!!! California..New York...consider this concept

[renzoqu]

Pontevedra is not Andalucía. Please, research about the places that you gonna speak about first. In Galicia they don't even speak in spanish. That cliche of playing flamenco, toros and sevillanas every time you speak about spain... c'mon 😅. Is a bit cringe. In Pontevedra are Celtic. Their music is the same kind of music you can hear in Ireland and Scotland.

[rodolfolasparri]

Who fact checked this story? No one
...it's using Flamenco music, from heart southern Spain, for Galicia??

I know American High School students have issues with world geography knowledge,
but "jounalists" appear to have them too.

[geoms]

I just bought a Landburghini, how can I show off and be seen by the world with it if I'm not allowed to drive in the city?

[ramatgan]

This is the coming reality in the west.
15 min cities.
No cars
You will eat only bugs.

[AbinMathew]

Why I am not seeing any people in the so called pedestrian city?

Hey Bloomberg; That old man is walking all alone in deserted roadways 😢