[Reading Response] Jennifer Yoos and Vincent James

When I first saw the phrase, ‘pedestrian systems’, in The Multilevel Metropolis, I thought of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has developed a mature pedestrian system that really shocked me when I first came to Hong Kong. As a newcomer who used to live in a place with bicycles and motorcycles all around, I wondered why there was no bicycle lane until I saw numerous footbridges. Just like what Jennifer and Vincent said, this sophisticated pedestrian system was developed on-demand. The walkways which are constructed according to changing circumstances connect people’s flats to their work places, making their life much more convenient and ensuring that people can go anywhere they want on foot without safety concerns.

Tian Xuemu(3035825057)

1 thought on “[Reading Response] Jennifer Yoos and Vincent James

  1. Noella Kwok says:

    You have noted a good observation of the lack of bicycle lanes. In fact, that only limits to Hong Kong Island; there are networks of bicycle lanes around New Towns (as part of their planning process) and also the New Territories. There were some clues in Yoos and James’ text on why, such as – “the most extensive multilevel pedestrian system […] has evolved from a need to reconcile the city’s complex street pattern with the steep hillside terrain.” (Yoos and James 2016, 264). Your explanation of “on-demand” planning could be further elaborated to the extreme convenience and walkability of the city it contributes, which renders the necessity of bicycle lanes obsolete.

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