4 ms·

> also there is tons of walking culture in this city Your biggest pedestrian street, La Rambla, is a 10m wide sidewalk with intense car traffic on both sides.

by alt_f4 8y ago

> also there is tons of walking culture in this city Your biggest pedestrian street, La Rambla, is a 10m wide sidewalk with intense car traffic on both sides. You walk in the middle of traffic and inhale the diesel exhaust that makes you choke whilst strange looking people try to offer you counterfeit bags and shoes from the large blankets they've (probably illegally) put across the pavement. Not my idea of a good time and probably not the best way to run your most famous street. > Regarding paying for parks, its 1 park could be, but you can probably understand how charging entry for (parts of) a fairly small park is unusual and is going to make visitors feel like they're being nickel and dimed wherever they go. > So im sorry if you have had a bad time in Barcelona, and I agree there are things that need work, but its not as horrible as you say. Hopefully they keep adding bike lanes and continue to reduce the car traffic in the city center. That's alright, I had an OK time overall, but I came in with higher expectations and was disappointed that some things (like the traffic pollution in the city center) felt a bit behind the times for modern European cities.

EugeneOZ 8y ago
In every city sidewalks are near the car traffic. That's why you call them sidewalks, lol. Next time use numbers for the air pollution level, maybe will sound less ridiculous.
- alt_f4 8y ago
  I'm having a hard time understanding whether you are actually unaware of the concept of pedestrian streets (and that they, too, have sidewalks, LOL).
  - EugeneOZ 8y ago
    Really? If 100% of the street is for pedestrians only, what for there should be sidewalks? Can you provide some example, maybe photo?
    - alt_f4 8y ago
      For example, there are cities that operate weekend (or certain hours of the day) pedestrian zones where streets in the city center are closed off to traffic. There are versions of this basic idea in many towns in England, usually looks something like this: https://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/medibigoff/58208fcecd7f7b2756b54293e1b17d94/tri-10628908.jpg https://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/medibigoff/58... Separately, there are cities that closed conventional asphalt roads to cars, without doing any physical road reconstruction, and just marked them as pedestrian-only. I've seen examples of this in Bulgaria and Romania. My point is, don't get too hung up on the terminology, but question why is there the need for so much car traffic in the city center and pretty much no restrictions on polluting vehicles. For example, in Berlin, your car needs to be at least Euro 4 compliant to enter the city center. As a result, the roads are less busy and the air quality is much better.
      - EugeneOZ 8y ago
        No way, terminology is what we are arguing about. Only examples you were able to find are either temporary pedestrian zones or roads without physical reconstruction. Sidewalks are to separate pedestrians from cars, it was my point, so do not try to move discussion. About your main complaint, air pollution (at the moment I write it): Barcelona, center - 17, Berlin - 38, London - 46. https://aqicn.org/city/spain/catalunya/barcelona-eixample/ https://aqicn.org/city/spain/catalunya/barcelona-eixample/ http://aqicn.org/city/germany/berlin/ http://aqicn.org/city/germany/berlin/ https://aqicn.org/city/london/ https://aqicn.org/city/london/
        alt_f4 8y ago
        > No way, terminology is what we are arguing about Not really, my original point was that it's stupid to have intense car traffic surrounding the pedestrian part of La Rambla. But either way, your terminology argument is completely invalid too, as demonstrated by the examples. > Only examples you were able to find are either temporary pedestrian zones or roads without physical reconstruction. So, to sum up, according to you, my argument is invalid because, excluding the proof that I gave you, I have no proof :) Hilarious.

by alt_f4 8y ago

EugeneOZ 8y ago

In every city sidewalks are near the car traffic. That's why you call them sidewalks, lol. Next time use numbers for the air pollution level, maybe will sound less ridiculous.

alt_f4 8y ago
I'm having a hard time understanding whether you are actually unaware of the concept of pedestrian streets (and that they, too, have sidewalks, LOL).
- EugeneOZ 8y ago
  Really? If 100% of the street is for pedestrians only, what for there should be sidewalks? Can you provide some example, maybe photo?
  - alt_f4 8y ago
    For example, there are cities that operate weekend (or certain hours of the day) pedestrian zones where streets in the city center are closed off to traffic. There are versions of this basic idea in many towns in England, usually looks something like this: https://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/medibigoff/58208fcecd7f7b2756b54293e1b17d94/tri-10628908.jpg https://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/medibigoff/58... Separately, there are cities that closed conventional asphalt roads to cars, without doing any physical road reconstruction, and just marked them as pedestrian-only. I've seen examples of this in Bulgaria and Romania. My point is, don't get too hung up on the terminology, but question why is there the need for so much car traffic in the city center and pretty much no restrictions on polluting vehicles. For example, in Berlin, your car needs to be at least Euro 4 compliant to enter the city center. As a result, the roads are less busy and the air quality is much better.
    - EugeneOZ 8y ago
      No way, terminology is what we are arguing about. Only examples you were able to find are either temporary pedestrian zones or roads without physical reconstruction. Sidewalks are to separate pedestrians from cars, it was my point, so do not try to move discussion. About your main complaint, air pollution (at the moment I write it): Barcelona, center - 17, Berlin - 38, London - 46. https://aqicn.org/city/spain/catalunya/barcelona-eixample/ https://aqicn.org/city/spain/catalunya/barcelona-eixample/ http://aqicn.org/city/germany/berlin/ http://aqicn.org/city/germany/berlin/ https://aqicn.org/city/london/ https://aqicn.org/city/london/
      - alt_f4 8y ago
        > No way, terminology is what we are arguing about Not really, my original point was that it's stupid to have intense car traffic surrounding the pedestrian part of La Rambla. But either way, your terminology argument is completely invalid too, as demonstrated by the examples. > Only examples you were able to find are either temporary pedestrian zones or roads without physical reconstruction. So, to sum up, according to you, my argument is invalid because, excluding the proof that I gave you, I have no proof :) Hilarious.