Europe’s Grass-Lined Green Railways

[n2doc]

Europe’s Grass-Lined Green Railways = Good Urban Design
by Bridgette Steffen





Although it’s certainly not a new idea to combine landscaping with public transportation, we love the sight of these European trams gliding along on beds of grass. From Barcelona to the Czech Republic, Frankfurt, St-Etienne and Strasbourg, these public transit greenways are showing the potential of incorporating landscaping into good urban design.

Much like green roofs, these swaths of green provide a host of benefits to any urban area, like reducing urban heat island effect, providing a permeable surface for storm water to infiltrate, and reducing pollution. And did we mention that it looks so much prettier than concrete or asphalt? We wish the public transportation in the US looked this good.

We wholeheartedly agree with Monocle Magazine’s top 25 Examples of Good Urban Design, which states: “There’s something quite magical about watching trams in Barcelona, Strasbourg or Frankfurt glide silently along beds of grass as they do their city circuit. Where possible, this attractive combination of efficient public transport and inspired landscaping should be standard as part of the urban fabric.”



http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/27/europes-grass-lined-green-railways-good-urban-design/

[TheWraith]

1. Cool, but it makes me want to lie down on that nice lawn.

I'm guessing that would be a mistake.

[hunter]

2. Yes, the visual cues are all wrong.

I suppose people get used to it, but I'd have to readjust my brain to recognize I could get hit by a train while walking on the grass. I'd worry about my dogs too. They have a little bit of street sense (not that I ever delibrately test it) so maybe they could develop a train sense too.

[lostnotforgotten]

3. One Sees the Same In Paris

eom

[4_TN_TITANS]

4. How do they accomidate the mowing?

Is there a mowing-car that also goes down the track? It wouldn't surprise me if they had the foresight to put electric mowers under the cars.

[silverweb]

5. Wow... gorgeous.

Can you imagine the spike in the accident rate here if we tried that without multiple signs and barriers, etc?

We'd have an unprecidented number of Darwin Award candidates.

[Nihil]

6. You say that as if it were a bad thing ...

:evilgrin:

[XemaSab]

7. The watering here would make it a no-go

:shrug: