August 22, 2025 by Luc - 0 comments

Urban Flow Plan

Daily writing prompt

How would you design the city of the future?

Rather than creating many low quality bike lanes I would devote a few entire avenues to lightweight portable transport and create cycle-scooterhighways.

Polluting vehicles.

Polluting vehicles.

Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport) such as bikes, escooters & so on.

Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport).

STEP 1 (OF URBAN FLOW PLAN)
One or two roads in a city chosen to become ‘Greenways’. Only open to non-polluting LPT. No large polluting vehicles other than emergency vehicles & essential large deliveries.

STEP 1.1 (optional extra)
As above but with improved flow.

STEP 2
Pedestrians above. Safety & continuous flow achieved: noone has to wait for anyone else. Pedestrians could be on travelators.

STEP 3
Pod cars or travelators above. An optional addition for later on pending popularity of earlier steps.

STEP 1 UNDONE (IN CASE NEED BE)
Greenway changed back to regular road but still with pedestrians & pod cars above. Step 1 is reversible at any time which is a huge safety feature of this plan.

View as a slideshow below

1. Polluting vehicles
2. Polluting vehicles 2
3. Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
4. Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
STEP 1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT
STEP 1.1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT with improved flow
STEP 2 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrians above (continuous flow)
STEP 3 urban flow plan, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars (2)
UNDONE STEP 1 urban flow plan, LPT shares & vehicles, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars

Another example of the Urban flow plan is shown below, this time using a junction in Hong Kong and adding extra options. To open slideshow viewer just click on any picture.

All pictures in this post were hand painted by the author over countless hours on an iPad using the Procreate app. (HK photo credit ze big-trip.com)

中英版請點這裡 For Mandarin English version click HERE

May 13, 2025 by Luc - 0 comments

都市綠流計畫 The Urban Flow Plan 中英

造成汙染的汽車。
Polluting vehicles.

造成汙染的汽車(替代道路配置)。
Polluting vehicles (alternative layout).

造成汙染的汽車可是有更多LPT(輕便交通工具）例如自行車、電動踏板車、等等。
Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport) such as bikes, escooters & so on.

電動車還有更多的LPT(輕便交通工具)。
Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport).

都市綠流計畫 , 第一步驟
城市中選出一兩條道路成為「綠色通道」，僅開放給無污染的輕便交通工具通行。除了緊急車輛和必要的大型送貨車輛外，不允許大型污染車輛進入。
STEP 1 (OF URBAN FLOW PLAN)
One or two roads in a city chosen to become ‘Greenways’. Only open to non-polluting LPT. No large polluting vehicles other than emergency vehicles & essential large deliveries.

步驟 1.1（選擇性）
跟上面一樣，但交通流量更順暢。
STEP 1.1 (optional extra)
As above but with improved flow.

步驟 2
行人位於上層。實現安全與持續通行：沒有人需要等待他人。行人可以搭乘自動人行道。
STEP 2
Pedestrians above. Safety & continuous flow achieved: noone has to wait for anyone else. Pedestrians could be on travelators.

步驟 3
膠囊車或自動人行道設於上層。這是可選的後續加設項目，視前面步驟的受歡迎程度而定。
STEP 3
Pod cars or travelators above. An optional addition for later on pending popularity of earlier steps.

步驟 1 撤回（如有需要）
綠色通道改回一般道路，但上層仍保留行人與膠囊車設施。步驟 1 可隨時撤回，這是本計畫的一大安全特色。STEP 1 UNDONE (IN CASE NEED BE)
Greenway changed back to regular road but still with pedestrians & pod cars above. Step 1 is reversible at any time which is a huge safety feature of this plan.

在下方以投影片方式瀏覽
View as a slideshow below

1. Polluting vehicles
2. Polluting vehicles 2
3. Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
4. Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
STEP 1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT
STEP 1.1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT with improved flow
STEP 2 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrians above (continuous flow)
STEP 3 urban flow plan, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars (2)
UNDONE STEP 1 urban flow plan, LPT shares & vehicles, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars

另一個「都市通行計畫」的例子如下，這次是以香港的一個路口為示範，並加入更多選項。如要開啟投影片瀏覽器，只需點擊任意圖片。
Another example of the Urban flow plan is shown below, this time using a junction in Hong Kong and adding extra options. To open slideshow viewer just click on any picture.

本篇貼文中的所有圖片皆由作者親自以 iPad 使用 Procreate 應用程式手繪完成，耗時無數小時。（香港照片來源：ze big-trip.com）
All pictures in this post were hand painted by the author over countless hours on an iPad using the Procreate app. (HK photo credit ze big-trip.com)

英文版請點這裡 For English version click HERE

May 5, 2025 by Luc - 0 comments

The urban flow plan

Polluting vehicles.

Polluting vehicles.

Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport) such as bikes, escooters & so on.

Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport).

STEP 1.1 (optional extra)
As above but with improved flow.

STEP 2
Pedestrians above. Safety & continuous flow achieved: noone has to wait for anyone else. Pedestrians could be on travelators.

STEP 3
Pod cars or travelators above. An optional addition for later on pending popularity of earlier steps.

STEP 1 UNDONE (IN CASE NEED BE)
Greenway changed back to regular road but still with pedestrians & pod cars above. Step 1 is reversible at any time which is a huge safety feature of this plan.

View as a slideshow below

1. Polluting vehicles
2. Polluting vehicles 2
3. Polluting vehicles but with more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
4. Electric vehicles & more LPT (lightweight portable transport)
STEP 1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT
STEP 1.1 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT with improved flow
STEP 2 urban flow plan, no vehicles, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrians above (continuous flow)
STEP 3 urban flow plan, only non-polluting LPT, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars (2)
UNDONE STEP 1 urban flow plan, LPT shares & vehicles, pedestrian walkways above & pod cars

Another example of the Urban flow plan is shown below, this time using a junction in Hong Kong and adding extra options. To open slideshow viewer just click on any picture.

All pictures in this post were hand painted by the author over countless hours on an iPad using the Procreate app. (HK photo credit ze big-trip.com)

中英版請點這裡 For Mandarin English version click HERE

January 25, 2015 by Luc - 0 comments

Greenways

LPT* (Lightweight Portable Transport) is on the rise and so is the Earth’s temperature. The idea: Just take a few long roads or routes in a city and make them car-free. At first on weekends, using road blocks, and later perhaps keep them permanently car-free. Simple, cheap, effective, and completely reversible. The pictures below are mostly of Taipei, but this idea could be used in almost any city.

Future additions as per ‘the urban flow plan’ (see HERE)

What about the residents parking?
Residents would be given free parking nearby, compensation or special access to a side lane along the road on condition they drive below 5mph. Electronic ID could automatically open the gate or barrier if there is one.

What about all the cars that need the road to drive on? This just means the adjacent roads will become busier!
Only temporarily. Over time building more roads and car lanes usually increases car traffic (https://doi.org/10.7922/G22805Z9) while giving more road space to bicycles and pedestrians improves traffic.
(https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/research/common-misconceptions-about-active-travel-investment/)

This is called induced demand and makes sense when you think about it. As nearby roads have more cars they become less pleasant to drive along so less people will. On the other hand if people have far more pleasant and safer LPT journeys as an option some of them will make that switch.

It’s also worth noting that in the early phase roads nearby the Greenway are likely to have less cyclists and others on LPT allowing more space for drivers in that respect.

What about emergency service vehicles and delivery vehicles?
They would be given special access (electronic ID could automatically open the gate or barrier if there is one). It’s highly likely that small lightweight delivery vehicles would emerge rapidly.

I don’t believe this can be done.
“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” (George Bernard Shaw)

In many places around the world various roads have been made car free and the feedback generally has been very good. See HERE and HERE for examples. The only addition with this plan is to devote the road to LPT rather than just give it to pedestrians alone. As technology improves and transport tools become lighter, smaller, safer and more efficient, and as cities become taller and more densely populated this is just one of those things that will need to happen anyway because it makes sense. Let’s just make sure we do it right.

We also really need to do this to allow people to avoid enclosed spaces together and give them safe, healthy travel options. Bike lanes will quickly become too busy to accommodate everyone safely. This can be done immediately with zero infrastructure!

You can get an idea of what this could be like from this video taken in Kuala Lumpur (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjOh9UtwK-w )and from this Greenway in Beijing which I regard as one of the greatest cycle-superhighways ever designed (https://youtu.be/rJ48RqwHb8s?si=-DC5Van6ljYABurF)

If you like this post then please share it with others!

*LPT (Lightweight Portable Transport) is a term coined by the Peacemaker Foundation meaning any transport tool that is small and light enough to be carried or moved by hand. Examples are bikes, skateboards, rollerskates, scooters, electric wheels (Eucs), self balancing foot scooters (Hoverboards) and Segways.

中英版請點這裡 For Mandarin English version click HERE