The Jeddah Municipality has chosen about 20 sites to be developed as walking areas with a distinctive aesthetic character to encourage people to walk. In choosing the sites, the municipality has taken the safety aspect and road traffic into account, Abdul Qader Al-Turki, Director of Planning and Design of Open Areas in the municipality, said. The requirements of people with special needs for recreational, cultural, sports and social activities have also been considered in selecting the sites, he said. The project will provide an opportunity for pedestrians to move between walkways and main roads from time to time, he said and added that special areas for kids will also be built. “The municipality will earmark special places to distribute cultural books and brochures about the specifications of each walking area,” he said. The municipality plans to build more than 100 walking sites in the city in the next few years, he added. __
