Is pedestrianizing car-dependent cities doomed without transit first?
Pedestrianizing downtown shopping streets like Copenhagen's Strøget did boost foot traffic and local business, but transplanting that model to car-dependent American cities often backfires. I've seen cities remove parking without adding reliable transit alternatives, and then wonder why storefronts sit empty. The real question is whether we're designing for people who already walk or forcing drivers to change without giving them a viable option first.