Towards enhancing the vitality of urban streets: a case of Kigali’s car free zone

Until August 2015, all streets in Kigali had been surrendered to vehicular traffic. The move by the city council to convert part of KN4 Street into a ‘car free zone’ was a vehicle to deliver us from this narrow perception of streets at ‘conduits for vehicles’ towards a new way of thinking of ‘street as social space’ in the city where the pedestrian is the priority. But just how well have we progressed with this? What exactly is happening on this street eight months down the line? What hints can help improve the vitality and vibrancy of the Kigali’s car free zone? This article focuses on the latter concern. The concept of ‘vitality’, pioneered by urban theorist Kelvin Lynch in 1960s as the most important performance dimension of urban design, has been consistently considered as an indicator of successful urban places. Many urban designers agree that vitality has potential to make an urban space is socially and economically successful as it encourages social interaction providing opportunities for cultural exchange, increasing passive enjoyment of streetscape and making commercial interests more viable. In another urban theorist, Montgomery’s definition, vitality refers to the number of people in and around the street (pedestrian flows) across different times of the day and night, the uptake of facilities, the number of cultural events and celebrations over the year, the presence of an active street life, and generally the extent to which a place feels alive or lively. Indeed, when urban social spaces are appropriately designed, they attract and satisfy needs of more and more people. Therefore, the three most important social elements of the public realm, accessibility, equity, and safety, ought to be incorporated in the design of successful urban public space, including streets. Now, borrowing from key qualities that contribute to the success of great streets by Project for Public Space (PPS), which are widely accepted, it is hoped that the following hints can be instrumental in enhancing the vitality of Kigali’s car free zone. Attractions and destinations Having something to do gives people a reason to come to a place and to return again and again. When there is nothing to do, a space will remain empty, which can lead to many urban problems. In planning these attractions and destinations, it is important to consider a wide range of activities for a diverse range of users. Creating an enticing path and connections that link together these experiences increases the vitality even more. Identity and image Creating a positive image requires keeping a place clean and well maintained, as well as fostering a sense of identity. This identity can originate in showcasing local assets. This way, adjacent businesses and pedestrians will change their behaviour to suit this vision and sense of place. Active edge uses Buildings bases (ground floors) should be human-scaled and able to allow for interaction between indoors and the outside. Active ground floor uses such as restaurants, cafeterias, shops, libraries, game places etc. create valuable experiences along a street for both building users and pedestrians. The edge should be visually permeable to unite both sides of the streets. Ground floor uses and retail activities should spill out into the sidewalks and streets to blur the distinction between public and private space. Amenities Successful streets provide amenities to support a variety of activities. These include attractive waste receptacles to maintain cleanliness, street lighting to enhance safety, areas for relaxation – both private and public seating options (benches and shelters) giving people the choice to sit where they want and other street amenities to support their use such as airtime, drinks etc. Management An active entity that manages the space is central to a street’s success. This requires not only keeping the space clean and safe, but also managing tenants and programming the space to generate daily activity. Events can run the gamut from small street performances to sidewalk sales to cultural, civic or seasonal celebrations. Seasonal strategies Utilise seasonal strategies, like weekend discos, seasonal cultural activities like ‘Kwitizina’, ‘Umuganura’ holiday, recreational activities for children etc in view to activating public life on the street during all times of the year. Diverse user groups It is essential to provide activities for different groups: men and women, people of different ages, different times of day, week and year, and for individuals alone and in groups. Mixing people of different race, gender, age, and income levels ensures that no one group dominates the space and makes others feel unwelcome and out of place. Traffic, transit and the pedestrian A successful street is easy to get to and get through; it is visible both from a distance and up close. Automobile traffic should be largely locked out! But there should be possibility to allow them in for emergency cases and evacuations. In the event that businesses need supplies through this space, arrangements can be made to allow offloading at fixed hours when pedestrian traffic is lowest. Access and linkages to surrounding destinations must be a part of the planning process with a clear idea on how to bring people to the space. The writer is an architect and urban designer with keen interest on the dialectical relations between Architecture and Society. josemwongeli@yahoo.com

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Towards enhancing the vitality of urban streets: a case of Kigali’s car free zone