NGO promotes healthier, safer commuting

Chinese environmental protection organization Goal-Blue (Shenzhen) Low Carbon Development and Promotion Centre is aiming to encourage commuters out of their cars, and instead find healthier, more environmentally friendly ways to travel to work.

To assist, the NGO has launched its Bluebook for Urban Street Development, proposing a number of technical solutions to help people feel more comfortable moving about cities.

One concept is called Shared Streets, which are low-speed urban roads, where the boundaries between the road and pavement are deliberately blurred, and pedestrians enjoy priority rights over cyclists and motor vehicles. The idea has been trialled around the world, and aims to make streets safer by forcing drivers into slowing down, and paying closer attention to their surroundings.