Difficulties and Planning Explorations of Pedestrian Systems The Practice and Thoughts of Pedestrian System Planning

With a case study of the pedestrian system in Changshu City, this paper explores problems of the current urban pedestrian system in China. It discusses some approaches to optimize the urban pedestrian system and suggests that principles of safety, continuity and people-oriented should be implemented in the design process to create a safe, dynamic and comfortable pedestrian system. It also indicates the differentiation of walking partition reflects resources of cities and characteristics of open space. A continuous pedestrian system that links breakpoints can increase the accessibility while a careful-designed pedestrian system offers a comfortable walking environment for pedestrians. A standard design of pedestrian facilities can ensure pedestrians’ safety. In addition to the improvement of pedestrian system planning, government’s decisions on urban development strategies and master plan are also needed.