A half century ago, pedestrian malls were as hip as the bell bottoms their advocates wore — and we should start dreaming of new car-free areas in cities, argues architecture critic Alexandra Lange in a new story in Curbed.

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Your Turn: Where would you like to see a few blocks dedicated to pedestrianism, where “urban strollways” and bikeways could exist without the threat of car crashes or noise and air pollution?

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“Imagine such a zone centered around a school, or overlaid … to encompass a park, an elementary school, two ice cream shops, and a public library,” she wrote.

Of the more than 200 American cities that closed blocks of downtown streets to cars a generation ago, Lange points to Denver’s 16th Street Mall is one of the few places that remains thriving and car-free. A major renovation of the mall will start next year.

Going forward, she suggests cities create more “shared streets,” albeit in areas more compact than the 16th Street Mall. The goal is to put them in places where small retailers and foot traffic already exist.

Tell us your ideas for such places in the comments section of this post or via social media tagging @streetsblogden

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