Where pedestrian-only streets have failed to draw business, the problem may be a failure to think big enough.

The city of Buenos Aires has transformed a 20-lane congested highway into an 80-block multi-modal downtown avenue with dedicated bus lanes, plenty of space for walkers, and green space. Daily commute times have been cut in half for 200,000 bus passengers. Car access to these renovated streets is limited to local residents with parking passes. The speed limit for local car traffic is 10 km…

http://www.planetizen.com/node/81025/north-america-needs-new-model-pedestrian-friendly-planning