Pedestrian-only lanes are good for health, community, business, and the planet
Cities began focusing on making their streets more pedestrian friendly in 2020, as municipalities encouraged residents to enjoy the outdoors safely. Today, that trend has continued in Canada and around the world, with more cities introducing car-free streets where locals and visitors can wander, shop, dine at outdoor patios, and reap the benefits of a car-free lifestyle.
Public good: Pedestrian zones and walkable cities benefit residents, locals, and the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and minimizing noise and collisions. They spur economic activity through public events and festivals and direct more people toward local businesses. Studies have also associated walkable cities with increased lifespan and lower obesity rates in residents. Yet many cities around the world do not support pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. As an example, according to the World Economic Forum, the largest 35 metropolitan areas in the US have only 1.2 percent of walkable landmass. Surprisingly, this small footprint of walkable land generates nearly 20 percent of the US’s GDP – proof positive that walkable infrastructure benefits not only people, but also the economy.
Walk this way: In Canada, many major cities promote pedestrian-first areas. In 2024, Forbes listed Montréal, Quebec, Vancouver, BC, and Toronto, Ontario among the world’s most walkable cities, relying on measures such as walkability, air quality, and safety. It’s easy for residents and visitors to travel between walkable cities, with VIA Rail whisking travellers throughout the country.
Le meilleur: Among Canada’s major cities, Montréal is a pioneer for its focus on pedestrians. Avi Friedman, an architecture professor at McGill University, said in a National Observer article, “Closed-off streets host various activities, festivals and music, supporting economic activities.” He added that the slow pace of walking on car-free streets enables people to notice and purchase more, benefiting commerce. Similarly, Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante acknowledged in aCBC article that car-free areas are good for businesses and people. “They create a sense of community for the people that live in the area. They also become destinations for tourists, visitors and students,” she said.
CITIES WHERE YOU CAN DON WALKING SHOES AND SKIP THE UBER
Montréal, Quebec
The most ambitious car-free scheme in North America happens annually in Montréal. Every summer, the city’s busiest thoroughfares close to car traffic and transform into pedestrianized centres populated by restaurants, markets, bustling terrasses, and leisurely wandering people. Montréal City Hall invested $12 million for the three-year project, expanding pedestrian access to 2,100 businesses. Recently, the City announced it will renew financial support for seasonal pedestrianization until 2027. In 2024, the city closed 11 streets across seven neighbourhoods, totalling over nine kilometres
of no-car avenues. Streets closed to car traffic are:
➢ Avenue du Mont-Royal, with hundreds of bars, restaurants, and shops spilling onto the sidewalks, as well as an outdoor farm growing produce for the street’s restaurants
➢ Avenue Duluth, a charming, bricked road with terrasses, shops, and bring-your-own-wine restaurants.
➢ Rue Wellington, recognized as the world’s coolest street by Time Out, and packed with shops, cafés, and snack spots.
➢ Promenade Ontario, whose antique shops, creative installations, and cozy cafés make for an enticing break or dinner destination.
➢ Avenue Bernard, a tree-lined oasis offering colourful restaurants and eclectic shops, along with excellent people-watching.
➢ Place du Marché-du-Nord, which borders the Jean-Talon Market and offers weekend entertainment, green terraces, and fun furniture.
➢ Place De Castelnau, a commercial street popular among families for its public art and village-like atmosphere.
➢ Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, whose pedestrianized zone through The Village boasts over 50 terrasses, many staying open late in the summer.
➢ Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, with one-of-a-kind nightlife, excellent restaurants and bars, and plenty of shopping.
➢ Rues Saint-Denis et Émery, home of the Quarter Latin – an epicentre of culture with restaurants, bookstores, theatres, cafés, and terrasses.
➢ Plaza Saint-Hubert, a hub of creativity with shops, restaurants, and art spaces, plus covered walkways ideal for rainy day strolls.
A pollution- and traffic-free future: Montréal’s car-free streets are part of the vision of urban planning, which aims to de-incentivize driving and encourage cycling, walking, and public transportation. With pedestrian-only streets seeing an 82 percent increase in visitors on weekdays, and a 61 percent increase on weekends, throughout the project (from 2021 to 2023), it’s no wonder car-free streets in Montréal will remain the norm for the next several years and beyond.
Bikes, too: In addition to pedestrian zones, the City of Montréal has invested $30 million in cycling infrastructure, a project known as Vision vélo. With a total of 53 projects introducing over 59 kilometres (36 miles) of cycling infrastructure, the initiative will promote active mobility and support Montréal’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2050.
A corridor connection to the Nation’s capital: The Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail, a 72-kilometre section of former railbed, stretching from Montreal to Ottawa, provides a unique opportunity for cyclists to head out across the countryside. Along the route are a growing number of pavilions and amenities from places to eat, camp, or stay at an eco-resort. Future plans include the redevelopment of an 1890s train station and a museum of local history.
Vancouver, BC
With a Walk Score of 100, Vancouver is a stroller’s paradise. The downtown core is home to the world’s largest uninterrupted waterfront path – the 28-kilometre Seaside Greenway, which includes the Stanley Park Seawall. The city’s top five attractions – the Gastown Steam Clock, the beach at English Bay, Canada Place, the Vancouver Aquarium, and Stanley Park – are located an easy 6.7 kilometres (4.2 miles) from each other. Public transportation facilities, managed by TransLink, offer alternative mobility options, including above- and below-ground rail rapid transit lines, buses, and a SeaBus that
connects downtown Vancouver with North Vancouver via the Burrard Inlet.
Special days: Every summer, Vancouver embraces its walkable reputation with Car Free Days, a once-grassroots movement that has evolved into an
annual event attracting thousands of attendees. The festival invites residents and visitors to explore their neighbourhoods on foot, or by cycling, with live entertainment, food trucks, and cultural experiences contributing to a festive atmosphere.
Successful trial: The City of Vancouver transformed Water Street – a busy thoroughfare in the historic Gastown neighbourhood – into a pedestrian-only
zone in July and August, 2024. As a people-first destination, the bustling street welcomed kerbside patios, public artwork by local First Nations, and outdoor merchandise displays. The pilot was a success with Water Street seeing a 35 percent increase in visitors overall, and a 56 percent increase on weekdays.
Toronto, Ontario
Home to 220 diverse communities, Toronto is a treasure trove of walkable neighbourhoods – from the independent shops, galleries, and parks of Queen West to the picturesque beaches and extensive boardwalk in The Beaches. The city’s top attractions – including the CN Tower, High Park, and Casa Loma – are situated within easy walking distance of each other. And its public transit system, including the PATH – a mostly underground walkway spanning over 30 kilometres – invites strolling even in inclement weather.
Dine outdoors: Toronto’s outdoor dining program, CaféTO – which was introduced at the height of the pandemic in 2020 – has become a permanent fixture inviting restaurants and bars across the city to expand their outdoor dining spaces through sidewalk cafés, curb lane cafés, or patios on private property.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is one of those cities where nothing feels out of walking distance. The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, one of the world’s longest downtown boardwalks at three kilometres (two miles), is populated by intriguing boutiques, eateries and breweries, and street performers. Visitors who prefer wheels can stop at I Heart Bikes to rent a bike or join a two- or four-hour cycling tour of Halifax. The city also offers ferry service that shuttles guests to destinations like Georges Island National Historic Site, which is only accessible by sea.
Walk the sites: According to Preply, the route between Halifax’s top attractions – Halifax Public Gardens, Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and the waterfront boardwalk – is only 3.3 kilometres (two miles) long.
Victoria, BC
The seaside city’s charming streets entice walkers and cyclists from around the world to explore its renowned attractions sans vehicle. In fact, according to Preply, the main attractions –Craigdarroch Castle, the Royal BC Museum, the Inner Harbour Pathway, the Parliament Buildings, and Beacon Hill Park – are within an hour’s walk of each other.
Planning ahead: In 2022, the City of Victoria introduced a five-year, pedestrian-focused concept design for Government Street, a main thoroughfare through downtown. The design focuses on improved accessibility, safe and comfortable gathering spaces, and collaboration with the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations to tell a more complete history of the land. Once completed, the project will boast two new cultural plazas with landmarks to serve as gateways to the street.
Bike-seeing: Victoria is also one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America, with special signals and bike-only paths weaving throughout
downtown. The city has several bike tour operators that take cycling beginners and aficionados throughout the city, including The Pedaler and Victoria Pedal Tours. In addition to walking and cycling, Victoria residents and visitors can explore the coastal capital via water taxi. These small, agile boats zip across the picturesque harbour, offering scenic views of the city skyline as they whisk passengers to key drop-off points.
THE REST OF THE BEST:
Many other urban locales in Canada offer car-free adventures for walking enthusiasts:
➢ Ontario: Explore the music scene in Kingston at your own pace with three self-guided walking tours, each narrated by local musicians and music-lovers. Access House of Paint’s map and wander to murals and graffiti artwork throughout Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Hamilton’s downtown closes to traffic for Art Crawl nights throughout the Summer.
➢ Alberta: Every year, Calgary’s Inglewood neighbourhood celebrates Car Free Sunday, with residents and visitors invited to explore live music, street performances, expanded patio dining, and sidewalk shopping. Part of the Bow Valley Parkway, a popular tourist drive through the mountains, opens only to cyclists and hikers for part of the year. And in Edmonton, Summer Streets converts vehicle lanes to pathways for biking, walking, and riding, while a funicular and streetcars provide even more reasons to ditch the car.
➢ Northwest Territories: Discover the historic city of Yellowknife on foot with self-guided walking and history tours of Old Town and downtown.
➢ Manitoba: Walk to Winnipeg’s major attractions via The Loop, a 9.5-kilometre pathway that connects downtown, The Exchange District, and Old St. Boniface.
➢ BC: Over 60 art installations populate the Vancouver Island community of Chemainus, with murals and sculptures lining the streets and hiding on the sides of buildings. Find them using the map on muraltown.com.