Milan to retrofit 22 miles of urban streets for post-COVID pedestrian use

[22 miles] of streets will be transformed over the summer, with a rapid, experimental citywide expansion of cycling and walking space to protect residents as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. The Strade Aperte plan [...] includes low-cost temporary cycle lanes, new and widened pavements, [20mph] speed limits, and pedestrian and cyclist priority streets.Janette Sadik-Khan, the former transportation commissioner for New York City, is helping Milan and Bogota formulate post-COVID-19 urban realm improvements.  Sadik-Khan tells The Guardian, “The Milan plan is so important is because it lays out a good playbook for how you can reset your cities now. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a fresh look at your streets and make sure that they are set to achieve the outcomes that we want to achieve: not just moving cars as fast as possible from point A to point B, but making it possible for everyone to get around safely.” In the US, Oakland and other cities are also experimenting with street pedestrianization efforts in response to the COVID-19 crisis.