Urban futures: Field trip design and conduct (Mobility) - Essay Example

Urban futures: Field trip design and conduct (Mobility) al Affiliation Rundle Mall, Adelaide, is a street in South Australia that serves as a pedestrian street. It was opened in 1976. To the east, the street is known as Rundle Street. Real estate prices in the area are among the highest in Australia, coming close to suburban shopping complexes (Leo 2007).Similar FeaturesThe streets in the area are lined with storefronts, a common characteristic with other pedestrian zones such as Times Square in New York.

Flagship stores owned by large retailers are also common in the area. Chain stores have also sprung up in the area. There are also restrictions to automobiles entering the area. Majority of these zones only allow emergency vehicles to access the areas (Melia, Barton & Parkhurst 2010). Delivery vehicles can access the areas at specific time or alternatively use side streets.There are a number of plazas and arcades similar to the Times Square area in New York. The arcades comprise of boutiques and eateries (Scheurer 2001).

As mentioned earlier, the real estate price in the area is high. This means that majority of the business owners are in the high-class status. This is similar to other Malls in other cities. The medium class and the lower class cannot be able to afford house prices in the area. Rundle Mall is a commerce hub in the area. This means there are no residential and industrial buildings in the area. Times Square also contains commercial houses with no industrial activity taking place within that area (Melia, Barton & Parkhurst 2010).

The area also comprise of wide streets lined up with artifacts at strategic points. ‘The Spheres’ is one of the best known sculptures in the Australian mall. Times Square area in New York is also lined with a number of artifacts such as those in the Duffy area.Rundle Mall and Pedestrian Mall areas in Adelaide were set aside as a result of a strategic plan. Experts and local interest groups came up with the idea. Currently, there is a master plan that is significantly set to transform Rundle Mall.

The design phase of the master plan has already been completed. Malls in the United States were also established through a strategic plan.Advantages and DisadvantagesPedestrian Mall and Rundle Mall have a number of advantages in terms of mobility. Some of the areas are closed to traffic and hence pedestrians can be able walk without the hustle and bustle created by motorists. Development in the area is manned by a management authority that comprise of a Board of Directors (Schriever 2007). The authority is also responsible for ensuring that there is high security in the area.

People are able to walk in the area without the fear of getting robbed. The structure of laneways and buildings is designed to cater for even those who are disabled. Footpaths are wide enough which makes mobility easy. Transport around the area is highly developed with city trams, trains and buses. These are designed to cater even for those with disabilities (Schriever 2007). There are access cabs to cater for people with disabilities. The access cabs have specific boarding point. Buildings have been redesigned to include a platform lift for wheelchairs.

Since there is low automobile use, less traffic jams result on surrounding roads. The main disadvantage is that private cars are restricted to enter these areas. People are therefore forced to work for long distances within the area to their destination. Only those who are disabled can be able to access cabs.ReferencesLeo, J 2007, ‘Decision on Adelaides Times Square’, The Advertiser, 16 April, p. 5.Melia, S., Barton, H. & Parkhurst, G 2010, ‘Carfree, Low car – What’s the difference?

’, Journal of World Transport Policy & Practice, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 24-32. Scheurer, J 2001, Urban Ecology, Innovations in Housing Policy and the Future of Cities: Towards Sustainability in Neighbourhood Communities. Perth, Murdoch University Institute of Sustainable Transport.Schriever, J 2007, ‘Shiny balls back to mall’, The Advertiser, 13 June, p. 9.