Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

Op-Ed: Phnom Penh Needs a Long-term, Grassroots Strategy to Transform Sidewalks

An SUV and several other cars parked on a sidewalk in Phnom Penh, blocking a clearly marked pedestrian lane on August 21, 2022. (Quinn Libson)
An SUV and several other cars parked on a sidewalk in Phnom Penh, blocking a clearly marked pedestrian lane on August 21, 2022. (Quinn Libson)

Put yourself in the shoes of a pedestrian on Phnom Penh’s streets. Imagine you’re a young child walking to school or a young professional walking from the office to your favorite lunch spot.

A chaotic mix of automobiles, motorcycles, and Tuk Tuks greet you right as you step outside. The overwhelming sounds of vehicles roaring, horns honking, and people shouting combine to create a cacophony. If you want to stay off the road, you’re forced to navigate parked SUVs and motos blocking your way along what sliver of a sidewalk is available. At times, there is no walkway whatsoever and the only option is to maneuver through the snarled traffic.

This is a problem endemic to Phnom Penh’s urban planning and it puts people who dare to navigate the city on foot in danger while deterring any would-be strollers.

Because of decrepit, or inaccessible sidewalks, more people choose to drive than to walk, even over short distances, which worsens the city’s traffic congestion. The mayhem of vehicles in the street makes students worry when walking to school and elderly people fearful during their morning or evening exercise. Not only do locals suffer from this situation, but so do visitors who are looking for nothing more than a genuine experience of Phnom Penh.

Lack of walkability is also a key factor in why the public transit systems we do have, including the Phnom Penh City Bus, struggle to attract meaningful ridership.

In short, a lack of stroller-friendly spaces is holding Phnom Penh back.

Misuse of our sidewalks, and the lack of clear policies to address this, have far-reaching effects on our social cohesion, our economic prosperity and our public health. What we need are policies and initiatives that will transform the sidewalks of Phnom Penh into safe and accessible spaces.

What’s been tried?

It’s important to consider what kinds of initiatives have already been tried for sidewalk reclamation. Phnom Penh authorities have taken a number of actions to address the problem of inaccessible sidewalks – most have fallen short.

In theory, regulations mandate that all sidewalks are public spaces and detail how private citizens can use them. According to a 2019 interview with Vannak Seng, who was the General Secretary of the Phnom Penh City Hall at the time, one third of every sidewalk is set aside for street vendors, a third for pedestrians, and the last third for road signs, trees and street lamps.

In 2023, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced that a sub-decree was in the works and would effectively end the privatization encroachment on public spaces, such as sidewalks. But the “deprivatizing” initiative appears to still be in limbo. 

There have been many government initiatives over the years that have tried to enforce or maintain public sidewalk accessibility. But many of them have led to temporary or sporadic enforcement, and all have lacked long-term investments in creating meaningful, lasting change.

For instance, this news story from 2021 about sidewalk clearing efforts along the riverside notes that the same sidewalks were cleared by authorities three times, indicating that these short-term efforts are failing to drive long-term behavior change among the area’s shop owners and residents.

Lackluster sidewalk projects have been carried out in Phnom Penh for decades. One initiative from 2010 was deemed a sidewalk “pilot project” but was only in effect for a trial week. Seven days is simply not enough time to undo years of neglect that have plagued the city’s walkways. 

Clearly these efforts to enforce accessibility of public walkways have not been effective. After authorities clear obstacles from sidewalks it doesn’t take long for unauthorized building and parking to return.

Instead of sporadic, ad hoc clearing, authorities should develop a plan with more foresight – rather than the occasional quick fix. In order to introduce genuine walkability to Phnom Penh, authorities should establish a long-term sidewalk pilot project and engage in meaningful public outreach – neighborhood to neighborhood – to persuade communities to buy-in to a more pedestrian friendly city. 

Piloting grassroots walkability

The most important factor to the success or failure of a pilot project is widespread buy-in from stakeholders. This is exactly what has been missing from past sidewalk-oriented efforts by authorities. A top down approach of occasionally and punitively clearing sidewalks is unlikely to work in the long-run because, at the moment, people don’t see a navigable sidewalk as holding lasting value for them.

For instance, even the mere seven-day sidewalk clearing trial from 2010 sparked outrage by local vendors and businesses.

Other sidewalk clearing efforts in the region have encountered similar issues with community endorsement. For example, in Ho Chi Minh City, an effort to remake the city’s sidewalks for pedestrian use failed in part because it was met with “mounting coverage of emotional street vendors protesting as authorities confiscated equipment and issued fines [which] projected an image of a government at war with the city’s working class.”

In order to secure local support for accessible sidewalks, small-scale – but long-term – on the ground outreach efforts are needed, in which concerns of communities are heard and taken into account.

There are real ways to achieve buy-in. For business owners, outreach might be tailored around the economic gain of increased walkability. There is extensive research, for instance, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that businesses that are situated on walkable streets make more money than those on streets that are inaccessible to pedestrians. For local residents, outreach might focus on the extensive health and quality of life benefits of living in pedestrian-friendly areas.

The needs of informal street vendors must also be considered, and real solutions must be implemented to ensure that sidewalks are accessible to pedestrians while remaining usable for those who rely on informal vending for their livelihoods. 

Through outreach, we should aim to come to a solution that works for the entirety of Phnom Penh. Our city doesn’t have to look like Singapore, or Bangkok or anywhere else. There can be a uniquely Cambodian approach to sidewalks that allows residents, vendors and pedestrians to get what they need from these spaces.

Where to start?

Daun Penh is the perfect district to target for a pilot project, not just because of the many attractions in the neighborhood—Riverside, Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, National Museum, and more—but also because a walkable Daun Penh fits well into the government’s stated plans for the area.  

The government’s plan to completely pedestrianize 57 hectares of street space in the district goes hand-in-hand with an extended walkability pilot project in Daun Penh. Investing in increased walkability in areas surrounding the planned pedestrian-only zone would amplify the impacts of pedestrianization and make this project all the more transformative.  

A pilot project to turn Daun Penh into a walk-easy zone would involve repairing and connecting sidewalks, protecting the area’s thriving street vendor scene, and encouraging community involvement.

First, authorities should conduct a thorough assessment of the commune’s sidewalks and identify the needs of each area. Areas where sidewalks are in disrepair will need different attention than places where sidewalks are in working order. Areas around schools may need to be treated differently than areas where many vendors have already set up shop. For a pilot project like this one, there should also be a dedicated budget to repair and connect sidewalks. All efforts should be conducted in close collaboration with local authorities and community leaders to promote the project and engage with residents.

Stakeholders should ideally work towards solutions that allow for mutually beneficial outcomes. For instance, not all sidewalks are able to accommodate both pedestrians and street sellers, but where possible, local authorities should consider designating specific zones for vendors with the understanding that a certain amount of walking room must remain free.

For the long-term sustainability of the project, a specialized maintenance crew should be formed to examine and clean the pavement on a regular basis. Law enforcement protocols should be reformed in order to deal with illegal building projects and vehicles that park in walking zones. The project should also involve frequent community outreach initiatives and events to highlight the advantages of walkable areas.  

The path forward

Ideally, a walkable Daun Penh pilot project should just be the beginning.

The goal of a campaign to improve the accessibility of Daun Penh’s sidewalks should be to start on a small scale, showcasing what works and what doesn’t. By learning from the challenges and shortcomings of this project, we can avoid repeating mistakes in future walkability initiatives across the city and potentially – hopefully – develop a uniquely Cambodian approach to making Phnom Penh pedestrian-friendly.

(Keolakena Kin is a young researcher at Future Forum)

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