A team of junior research fellows have carried out a study into the importance of pedestrian areas in urban design and its impact on economics and the mental health of residents.

The “Phnom Penh Dialogue Day | Preah Sisowath Quay: Riverside Heritage Walk" exhibition forms part of the 7th Annual Future City Summit, bringing thought-provoking design and research illustrations, and photos, in addition to hosting a deeper dialogue on urban space design, from December 18 to 25.

Pedestrianization Phnom Penh’s Riverside Could be an Economic Masterstroke

Chan Pichmonika, a junior researcher of Future Forum, a partner of the Good City Foundation organization, as well as an Investment Analyst, talked about, ‘How pedestrianization could be an economic masterstroke.’

She explained that creating more sidewalks, for example along the capital’s riverside, can encourage more people to walk, attract more tourists which helps elevate local businesses located there.

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“The pedestrian street is not just a simple street, but an opportunity that is offered to the local people. So, they could enjoy walking along the streets, enjoying street viewing, dining in the city, street performing and so on and so forth. So, it can create more attractiveness and attract tourists,” she said.

The more productivities and creativities along the pedestrian streets can also help increase the profits of local coffee shops, restaurants, shops surrounding the area, as well as improve job employment rates.

“A lot of studies have shown that pedestrians can stand more than a driver. Even though the pedestrians are likely to spend less, they could spend more everyday. So, the result will be a showcase,” she said.

Chan Pichmonika, (left) and Ses Aronsakda, all junior researchers at Future Forum. Kiripost/Meas Molika

Cambodia can also learn from a real experiment in South Korea and London in England, which has shown that pedestrianization can improve the revenue of street vendors and local shops.

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According to the publication, Mobility By Cycling Friendly, shops on pedestrian grids generate higher revenues than shops on non-pedestrian grids.

She found that pedestrian streets can also help reduce public costs as the cost of infrastructure for pedestrians is lower than building roads for cars.

“If we build car streets, the maintenance cost and the road cost will be very high compared to pedestrian streets. So, it is also a point that the government could take into consideration as well.”

Will we design roads for cars or people?

Ses Aronsakda, a junior researcher from Future Forum, researched about ‘Riverside’s Reinvention: The Case For Car-Free Sisowath Quay’ and found that pedestrianization could improve the traffic and urban policies can impact daily life.

“By organizing pedestrianization we actually can improve the traffic in a number of ways. Firstly, you can solve traffic by making it easier for people to drive. If we make it easy to drive there, they will drive and they will cause more traffic. So, the best way to fight traffic is to make it inconvenient for drivers.”

Pedestrianization is important for people with disabilities or with wheelchairs, including kids and elderly people. Kiripost/Meas Molika

He found that the more convenient it is for vehicles, the more traffic is on the roads. To reduce traffic, restrictions need to be put in place.

“How would you come here? If you know if there are a lot of parking lots, you probably want to drive here, right? But let’s say you know cars aren’t allowed here or you know parking is not available. That will force you to change the way you find traffic [methods].”

He added that selecting the right traffic decision-making is to influence road users’ perspectives and change their behaviors rather than building more roads, parking lots, and adding more spaces for cars, causing more congestion.

Moreover, pedestrianization is important for people with disabilities or with wheelchairs, including kids and elderly people.

“If we have more sidewalks, if you have more bicycling [ways] that means people who are living with disabilities, whether it is visual or visibility, people rely on wheelchairs, even young people or people very old, it is still safe for them rather than driving.”

He believes that pedestrianization also helps support local businesses and communities, while preserving local heritage and traditional practices, such as cyclos.

Keth Piseth, a junior researcher at Future Forum and a trained architect and urban planner’s assistant of Phnom Penh Municipality, worked under the topic ‘A focus on placemaking will ensure Phnom Penh Riverside transformation is locally inspired’.

“First of all, pedestrianization can help enhance the social connection. Secondly, it helps increase the sense of belonging between the local community and visitors. Last but not least, it cultivates the local story like architectural buildings around the riverside,” he said.

Keth Piseth, a junior researcher at Future Forum and a trained architect and urban planner’s assistant at Phnom Penh Municipality. Kiripost/Meas Molika

In order to establish placemaking as successful, Phnom Penh city should focus on human-centered design and rethink inclusion and social interaction by introducing the power of 10 plus modules of the place, which is having at least 10 reasons for people to be there. For instance, providing a place to sit, eat, listen to music, and view arts.

Prak Len, a freelancer at a private company, participated in the event. She told Kiripost on Sunday that having good and comfortable pedestrian streets is something she looks forward to seeing more in Phnom Penh as she views it as a crucial urban facility that helps to improve both physical and mental health as she drives to work everyday and lacks physical exercise.

“Nowadays, we drive a lot, we don’t walk much. Sometimes, it [pedestrian streets] can help us to exercise through walking. Whenever we have the right sidewalk it also helps avoid accidents because in today's life we are not clear which routes are for walking or driving. So, both cars and motorcycles are traveling the same way as pedestrians and leads to discouragement for walkers,” she said.

In addition, she thinks that walking can also cut down on air pollution, promote mental health and cut down on the cost of gasoline.