European cities reclaim space from cars
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Architects and city planners across Europe are redesigning urban spaces to prioritize pedestrians and combat rising temperatures.
The European Prize for Urban Public Space recently announced a shortlist of projects converting car infrastructure into public amenities like splash pools, gardens, and green spaces. In Logrono, Spain, Leopold Banchini created temporary “Round About Baths” on a roundabout, highlighting the difficulty of making such changes permanent due to safety regulations and political concerns about limiting car access.
Barcelona successfully transformed thoroughfares into green space by laying them underground, while Antwerp’s Zuidpark replaced a large parking lot with an 800-meter park featuring 500 new trees. Tractebel, the firm behind Zuidpark, excavated most of the park area and added a thick layer of soil to encourage rapid plant growth, resulting in noticeably cooler temperatures within the park. Although Zuidpark still incorporates a four-story parking garage, designers reasoned that providing parking was necessary to secure funding for the park itself.
Other finalists for the prize include projects in Portugal and Italy. The winner will be announced on October 15th, showcasing a growing movement to re-imagine cities around people, not cars.
