ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT OF A TRAFFICKED SHOPPING STREET.

There is no denying that the urban shopping street plays a large part in the lives of a great many people. It offers food, clothing, furniture, essentials, luxuries and most of all a chance to mix with fellow humans. Pedestrian precincts offer much more; a relaxed atmosphere, and a general 'quality of environment' which can even include street entertainment in the form of buskers. Vehicle-domination has reduced the environmental quality of many of our urban centers, and it is now seen that a poor environment is a contributory factor to the disturbances that occur in our inner cities. Pedestrian precinct areas give us the opportunity to provide towns and cities with a much needed facelift. With regard to noise levels, the removal of extraneous traffic from a typical large urban shopping street produces an average noise reduction of 10db(A), whilst this traffic spread over a wider road network does not appreciably increase noise levels in other streets.