Why Helsinki is Tearing Up Its Freeways

this week New York State Approved America's very first congestion pricing policy forcing drivers to pay at least $10 to access Manhattan below 60th Street the policy has two big benefits first the toll should generate about a billion dollars earmarked for New York's ailing public transportation system and congestion pricing schemes have also proven to reduce a number of cars on streets fewer cars means less emissions a notable achievement given that cars and trucks are responsible for one-fifth of all US greenhouse gas emissions but if the world is going to get serious about reducing emissions it needs more than congestion pricing it needs to go full-on Helsinki [Music] driving in a highway inside the city in the 21st century is like smoking in the 20th century now we know that it's a healthy and once we did it but now we know better Carlos lamella came to Helsinki from his native Spain in 2007 to study urban design and architecture in his master's thesis he reimagined the city of Helsinki by demolishing one of the city's major freeways and building affordable housing and shops in this place when you look at a freeway do you find it useful well I think that freeways are infrastructure that belongs to the past to a time when we didn't know anything about climate change about the effects that pollution has on health so no I don't think that a freeway is useful inside a city cities are for people and and people need different means of transportation but the cars shouldn't be the one element that dictates our city is built today lamellas thesis is the basis for a major infrastructure project which aims to grow the city's population by 40% in a way that's carbon neutral to make room for new residents Helsinki plans to invest in public transport and tear up three of the city's major freeways replacing them with thinner roads bounded by boulevards of affordable housing and shops Helsinki's original plan was even more ambitious he wanted to redevelop all seven of its freeways but a court ruled that that would be too disruptive to traffic so the city will start with three for Ani cinema key the city's deputy mayor for urban environment the project isn't about banning cars it's trying to get people to see the benefits of giving up their cars voluntarily so by 2050 owning a car in Helsinki is gonna be pretty inconvenient and pretty slow is that the general idea general idea that is more perhaps that in 2050 in Helsinki it's super easy to use really kids right why is this plan important it's a plan that tells what kind of future we do want it lays the main goals of how we wish the city to roll already now more than three quarters of all journeys made in Helsinki are made by public transport walking or cycling so we are good public transport city at the moment but we will be even better [Music] you

Channel: VICE News

Views: 218,455

Keywords: VICE News, VICE News Tonight, VICE on HBO, news, vice video, vice news 2018, new york city, subway nyc, new york, L train, L train new york city, Brooklyn L train, commuting NYC, uber, lyft, transportation, commute, urban transportation, urban transportation system, urban transportation planning, urban planning, New York City cars, New York City traffic, nyc traffic jam

Id: UdvYcWxycgY

Length: 3min 58sec (238 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 16 2019