Cities across the globe are encouraging people to put away their car keys on September 22nd for World Car-Free Day and rethink how they move through urban spaces. The occasion will offer more than just a break from driving — it will celebrate walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly streets everywhere! As passionate advocates for multi-modal transportation, we love any opportunity to highlight and create places where people, not cars, take priority.
Take, for instance, the TIRZ 13 Mobility Plan in Houston’s historic Old Sixth Ward. This plan reimagined the area, transforming it into corridors that cater to all modes of transportation, from walking to biking and transit. Working with TEI, we didn’t stop at simply redesigning streets—we tapped into the community’s spirit by incorporating public art, including murals and banners promoting multimodal mobility. Engaging residents through virtual tours and public workshops, we ensured that every design choice reflected the community’s needs while enhancing its character. The end result? Safer streets that invite more foot traffic, encourage local business growth and inspire future development.
In Austin, we’ve contributed to several corridor improvement projects aimed at creating safer, pedestrian-friendly streets. By adding protected bike lanes, upgrading transit stops, and improving crossings, we’ve made walking and biking more appealing for daily commutes. For example, the North Lamar Boulevard and Burnet Road Corridor redesign focused on widening sidewalks, enhancing pedestrian crossings, and easing congestion. These improvements increase accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians and support the city’s goal of promoting alternative transportation options.
In Northeast Texas, the Longview Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan tackled the challenge of creating a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle network that would make walking and biking safe, enjoyable, and practical for residents. Asakura Robinson worked with Toole Design Group to connect key parts of the city with continuous sidewalks and bike lanes while emphasizing safety in high-traffic areas like school zones. By listening to the community through surveys and open houses, we helped identify critical gaps in the transportation network, which allowed us to create solutions to reduce crash rates and promote healthier, more active lifestyles.
Public transit also plays a pivotal role in reducing car dependency, and our work with Houston METRO’s BOOST Corridor project highlights how we’ve contributed to this effort. By designing upgraded bus stops with enhanced bicycle parking, planting, and other amenities, we helped transform existing bus stops into more user-friendly spaces. Our conceptual designs and visualizations supported METRO’s outreach efforts and helped ensure that these transit hubs would encourage greater use of public transportation, reduce congestion, and promote greener mobility options.
During our Harris County Toll Road Authority Visioning the Hardy Downtown Connector project, the team explored diverse approaches to enhance connectivity to minimize the toll road’s impact on neighborhood connections. This involved devising a comprehensive 7.44 miles of multi-use path extending from I-610 to Downtown, proposing innovative designs for new neighborhood roadways like Elysian, and introducing bridges over key intersections. Additionally, the design considered various options for railway crossings, presenting unique opportunities for placemaking.
Lastly, our reconfiguration of the University of Houston’s Cullen Boulevard focused on making the campus and surrounding 3rd Ward neighborhood in Houston more pedestrian-friendly. We designed wide, tree-lined shared-use paths that provide safe routes for cyclists and walkers while creating a more inviting, community-centric space. The result is a vibrant corridor that serves as a key transportation route and a place for gathering and connection, whether for a game day or a quiet stroll.
These projects showcase Asakura Robinson’s dedication to making cities more walkable, bikeable, and accessible—perfectly in step with the spirit of World Car-Free Day.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to designing spaces where mobility doesn’t rely on cars but on the power of people moving together through vibrant, safe, and sustainable urban environments.
For more information about AR projects, please visit our website at www.asakurarobinson.com. If you would like to talk about how we can work together, reach out to Marketing Director Amanda Wheeless at amanda@asakurarobinson.com.