Should Cities Be Designed for Cars or People?

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1. 01Should Cities Be Designed for Cars or People?

   Good morning. Look at any street in a big city, and you'll notice something: most of the space is given to cars. Today, I want to challenge that idea and ask whether our cities should be designed for people instead.

   早上好。随便看看大城市里的哪条街道，你都会发现一件事：大部分空间都给了汽车。今天，我想挑战这种想法，和大家探讨一下：我们的城市是不是应该为人而设计。

2. 02The Cost of Car-Centered Cities

   Car-centered design comes at a cost. It leads to traffic jams, noise, and air pollution. On top of that, every parking lot is space that could have been a park, a café, or a place for kids to play.

   以汽车为中心的设计是有代价的。它带来交通拥堵、噪音和空气污染。不仅如此，每一个停车场，本来都可以是一座公园、一家咖啡馆，或者孩子们玩耍的地方。

3. 03Cars Are Mostly Standing Still

   Here's a surprising fact. According to a study in the UK, the average car is parked about ninety-six percent of the time. That means we give huge amounts of city space to objects that are mostly standing still.

   告诉大家一个惊人的事实。根据英国的一项研究，一辆普通汽车大约有百分之九十六的时间是停着的。也就是说，我们把大量的城市空间，给了大部分时间都一动不动的东西。

   Source: RAC Foundation, "Spaced Out" (2012), UK

4. 04What People-First Cities Look Like

   Some cities are already making this shift. Paris has turned busy roads along the river into spaces for walking and cycling. Barcelona has created "superblocks," where cars are limited and streets become public spaces.

   有些城市已经开始了这种转变。巴黎把河边繁忙的道路改造成了步行和骑行的空间。巴塞罗那打造了“超级街区”，在那里汽车通行受到限制，街道变成了公共空间。

   Sources: City of Paris (riverside roads for walking and cycling); Barcelona City Council (Superblocks program)

5. 05Benefits for Everyone

   These changes don't just help pedestrians. When streets become safer and quieter, people walk and cycle more, which is good for their health. Local shops can benefit too, because people on foot tend to stop and look around.

   这些变化不只对行人有好处。当街道变得更安全、更安静，人们就会更多地步行和骑车，这对健康很有益。当地商店也能从中受益，因为步行的人往往会停下来四处看看。

6. 06Common Objections

   Naturally, there are objections. Shop owners worry about losing customers, and drivers worry about traffic. However, research on "traffic evaporation" shows that when road space is reduced, some car trips simply disappear as people change their habits.

   当然，也有反对意见。店主担心失去顾客，司机担心交通问题。不过，关于“交通蒸发”的研究表明，当道路空间减少时，随着人们改变出行习惯，一部分开车出行会直接消失。

   Source: Cairns, Hass-Klau & Goodwin, "Traffic Impact of Highway Capacity Reductions" (1998)

7. 07A Step-by-Step Approach

   The smartest cities don't change everything overnight. They start with temporary trials, listen carefully to residents, and only then make successful changes permanent.

   最聪明的城市不会一夜之间改变一切。它们先从临时试点开始，认真倾听居民的意见，然后才把成功的改变固定下来。

8. 08Who Are Streets For?

   Of course, cars won't disappear. But streets are one of the largest public spaces we have. The real question is: who should they be for? I'll leave you with that question. Thank you.

   当然，汽车不会消失。但街道是我们拥有的最大的公共空间之一。真正的问题是：街道应该为谁服务？我就把这个问题留给大家。谢谢。