pedestrianisation

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the process of converting streets or areas that were previously open to motor vehicles into spaces exclusively or primarily for pedestrians, cyclists, and sometimes limited-access public transport; pedestrianisation can be temporary — as in weekend or seasonal car-free events — or permanent, creating pedestrian zones that transform the character and economic vitality of urban areas; evidence from pedestrianised city centres in Copenhagen, Vienna, and dozens of other cities shows that removing cars typically increases footfall, retail turnover, property values, and resident satisfaction, while reducing air pollution, noise, and road casualties, often contrary to initial predictions from traders who fear that removing car access will harm business; the term uses the British English spelling with -isation; the American variant pedestrianization uses -ization

British: pedestrianisation; American: pedestrianization