Moving through
Walkway
public spacecampushospitalparkrural community
A bridge or elevated route for people only that crosses a river, a ravine, a street or the space between two buildings.
What it solves
It connects places separated by an obstacle without going down to the level of the water or the traffic. If covered, it protects from downpours and sun along the way.
Today
Prefer walkways with gentle ramps rather than long stairs, roofed in the tropics and with safe railings. In the city, rather than lifting the pedestrian, it is better to calm traffic and cross at grade.
Common mistake
Building pedestrian bridges over avenues with tall stairs that few people use and that push pedestrians to cross underneath.
Tomorrow
With heavier rain, walkways over ravines keep neighborhoods and schools connected when the water rises. Timber or steel parts made in nearby workshops allow them to be assembled in a few days.
Where it comes from
- 1Quechua communities with Inca technique Andes of southern Peru, living Inca tradition
The Q'eswachaka bridge is woven from grass ropes and renewed every year in three days. It has been Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013. - 2Khasi and Jaintia peoples Meghalaya, India, of diffuse origin, in use
They guide the aerial roots of the rubber fig over rivers until they form living bridges that can last for centuries. - 3City of cold winters Minneapolis, United States, since 1962
A network of enclosed skyways links 80 blocks for walking protected from the weather.
Masters
- Kongjian Yu Qunli Stormwater Park, Harbin, China, 2009
He links the mounds of an urban wetland with elevated walkways that offer views over the landscape and the city. He teaches how to cross flood-prone ground without touching the water or the living soil. - Lina Bo Bardi SESC Pompéia, São Paulo, Brazil, 1986
She designs eight concrete pedestrian walkways that cross the air to link two towers of the sports center. She shows that a walkway can also be a strong image of the building.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Moving through
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.