A pedestrian amenity is anything that improves the safety, comfort and experience of pedestrians. Pedestrian amenities can be extremely useful in making higher density urban areas safer, more convenient and more attractive for living, visiting and other activities, thereby helping to provide a good alternative to urban sprawl, with its various adverse environmental effects.
The availability of pedestrian amenities varies greatly according to the country, city, and even the part of the city. They have been particularly lacking in the United States, with its emphasis on facilitating automobile traffic, and in many developing countries. In contrast, they are abundant in many European cities.
There is a great variety of pedestrian amenities. Although they can be classified according to function, many have multiple functions, including safety, comfort, and aesthetics.
Among the most important are those that separate and protect pedestrians from automobiles and most other vehicular traffic. These include wide sidewalks, reduced numbers of traffic lanes, pedestrian-only zones, transit malls, enhanced street crossings, and protected routes for bicycles, scooters and other two-wheel vehicles. Also important in this context are bollards and buffers to prevent the intrusion of automobiles into pedestrian spaces and increase the separation of pedestrians from road traffic.
Enhanced street crossings, also referred to as enhanced pedestrian crossings, can include extended curbs, roadway center refuge islands, sufficient signal time for slower pedestrians to cross, short waiting periods (to reduce crossing during red lights), signal countdown timers, clear views including through the prohibition of parking near crossings, speed bumps, distinctive markings and flashing lights to alert pedestrians and vehicle drivers, and clear signage.
Examples of amenities that can improve the mobility of pedestrians include shelters at transit stops to protect from adverse weather (e.g., rain, wind, strong sunshine), large umbrellas at street crossings to protect while waiting for the signal to change, heated sidewalks to melt ice in winter, and external escalators, public elevators and funiculars for use in hilly areas. Although some of these may seem unusual or even extreme, each is already being used successfully in some major cities (e.g., outdoor escalators in Hong Kong, public elevators in Lisbon, heated sidewalks in Sapporo, and umbrellas at street crossings in Seoul).
The provision of shade trees and other greenery can have multiple functions in enhancing the pedestrian experience. They include protection from intense sunlight while walking or sitting, cooling, filtering and absorbing air pollution, adding to attractiveness, and providing habitat for birds and other organisms.
Among the many other types of pedestrian amenities are benches and other street furniture, lighting, restrooms, sculpture and other art, retail and food services, outdoor dining areas, play areas for children, smoking booths, recycling bins, trash receptacles, public "broom closets" (for volunteers who want to clean up a particular area), outlets for recharging phones and computers, free wifi, water fountains, walkways along rivers and creeks, outdoor exercise equipment, decorative paving materials, bulletin boards, emergency call buttons for police and medical assistance, bicycle parking areas, outdoor games, locations for speeches and music performances, and information booths or kiosks.
The availability of humans who perform various services can also be an important pedestrian amenity. These services include providing information and directions, cleaning, enforcing rules (e.g., advising not to litter or ride vehicles on the sidewalk), contacting emergency services when necessary, etc.
Clear but unobtrusive signage is also useful. This includes directions to nearby subway stations and tram stops, area maps, restroom locations, rules of conduct, historical information, and emergency phone numbers.