Australia

Streetfilms: “Lounging on High” in Wodonga, Australia

David Engwicht is a livable streets philosopher and author. Creator of the Walking School Bus, Mental Speed Bumps and many other innovative ways of taming traffic and increasing pedestrian safety, he has taken on “the challenge of a lifetime” to revitalize the downtown district of Wodonga, a small city in Australia often referred to as “Struggle Town” in comparison to its sister city Albury just across the Murray River.

By Clarence Eckerson Jr.

11:48 AM EDT on March 26, 2008

David Engwicht is a livable streets philosopher and author. Creator of the Walking School Bus, Mental Speed Bumps
and many other innovative ways of taming traffic and increasing
pedestrian safety, he has taken on “the challenge of a lifetime” to
revitalize the downtown district of Wodonga, a small city in Australia
often referred to as “Struggle Town” in comparison to its sister city
Albury just across the Murray River.

Watch the video to see great placemaking in action. Engwicht has initiated the successful Lounging on High Friday night series. The diverse programming features giant versions of board games and an eclectic range of seating options, the goal being to encourage residents to take back their streets and re-imagine what is possible. To create a more human pace, on these Friday nights Wodonga closes one street and removes two lanes of car travel on another to encourage relaxation and fun.

Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Clarence Eckerson Jr. has been running Streetfilms for two decades after serving as a producer of BikeTV. He loves the color purple, chocolate chip cookies, and enjoys walking, biking, and taking transit. He has never had a driver's license. But he does have an award from the U.N. (yes, that U.N.!)