Ben Fried at StreetsBlogNYC:

New York didn't always have such meager sidewalks -- over the years, the city systematically shrank pedestrian space to make room for motor vehicles. Here's a look at the sidewalk on Lexington Avenue and 89th Street today, and the much more accommodating dimensions near the turn of the 20th Century….

I never realized just how much narrower streets have become over the last hundred or so years. The pedestrian/vehicle imbalance is absurd.

One unexpected “benefit” of the pandemic: It showed us how livable cities can be when we dedicate more of the streets to people, not machinery. Whether it’s “slow streets,” parklets or streateries, cities are more fun when you can stroll, roll, or bike them. Even in cities with limited summertime.

There’s even a growing movement in San Francisco to permanently close the Great Highway that fronts Ocean Beach and turn it into a park, an idea I fully support.

More space for people, less for cars.

Update: See this followup.