Skyway

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Skyway

In an urban

Urban area

An urban area is an area with an increased Population density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be city, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlet ....
setting, a skyway, catwalk
Footbridge

A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cycling and equestrianism, rather than vehicle traffic....
, or skywalk is a type of pedway

Pedway

Pedways are elevated or underground walkways, often connecting urban high-rises to each other, other buildings, or the street. They provide quick and comfortable movement from building to building, away from traffic and inclement weather....
consisting of an enclosed

Covered bridge

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In an urban

Urban area

Pedway

Covered bridge

A covered bridge is a bridge, often single-lane, with enclosed sides and a roof. They have typically been wooden, although some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides....
or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public space

Public space

A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socioeconomics....
s (compare with sidewalk

Sidewalk

A sidewalk , pavement , footpath or footway is a Trail for pedestrians that is situated alongside a road or formed like sidewalks that are alongside roads ....
). Skyways usually connect on the second or third floor (American numbering convention), though they are sometimes much higher, as in Petronas Towers (though this skyway is often referred to as a sky bridge). The space in the buildings connected by skyways is often devoted to retail business, so areas around the skyway may operate as a shopping mall

Shopping mall

File:Nordstrom wing , Pentagon City Mall.jpgA shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit....
. Non-commercial areas with closely associated buildings, such as university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
campuses, can often have skyways and/or tunnel

Tunnel

A tunnel is an underground passageway. The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon. However, in general tunnels are at least twice as long as they are wide....
s connecting buildings.

The world's largest skyway network – Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and High Plains, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies....
, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada Canadian Prairies Provinces and territories of Canada. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S....
's "+15 Walkway

+15

The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of and 59 bridges....
" system – has a total length of 16 km (10 miles). However, the system is discontinuous, and it does not connect every downtown building. The largest continuous network of skyways – the Minneapolis Skyway System

Minneapolis Skyway System

File:Skyway1.jpgFile:Skyway2large.jpgThe Minneapolis Skyway System is a pedestrian skywalk system that connects various buildings in Downtown Minneapolis enabling people to walk in a climate controlled environment....
– spans connecting 69 blocks in downtown Minneapolis. Other cities in the Midwest, such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester is a city in the United States U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, it is perhaps best known as the home of Mayo Clinic and is also home to one of IBM's largest facilities....
, and Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the state capital and second most populated city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Mississippi River, downstream of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, Minnesota, the state's List of cities in Minnesota....
also have significant skyway systems. On a smaller scale, terminals

Airport terminal

An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from airplanes....
of large airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as Fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and Non-rigid airship take off and land. Aircraft may also be stored or maintained at an airport....
s are often connected by skywalk systems, as at Manchester Airport, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
.

Some cities have the equivalent of a skyway underground, and many locales have mixed subway/skyway systems; see underground city

Underground city

An underground city is a network of tunnels that connect buildings beneath street level. These may include office blocks, shopping malls, train station and metro stations, theatres, and other attractions....
.

Early examples of skywalks

Copenhagen
Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,153,615 . Copenhagen is situated on the Islands of Zealand and Amager....
, Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
: skywalk connecting courts building to adjacent uses, 18th century
Faaborg
Faaborg

Faaborg or F?borg is a Danish city with 7,222 inhabitants , located in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen. It was formerly the seat of Faaborg municipality....
, Funen
Funen

Funen , with a size of 2,984 km? , is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the List of islands by area largest island of the world....
, Denmark: skywalk in centrum, 18th century
Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
, Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, Bridge of Sighs
Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is one of many bridges in Venice. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the Piombi to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace....
, connects Doge's Palace and prison, 16th century

Environmental factors

Besides pedestrian safety and convenience, the chief reasons assigned by urban planners for skywalk development are decrease of traffic congestion

Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased Queueing theory....
, reduction in vehicular air pollution and separation of people from vehicular noise

Roadway noise

Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from motor vehicles. In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source, and is constituted chiefly of engine, tire, aerodynamic and braking elements....
. A number of cities (for example, Spokane, Washington) have given intricate analysis to skywalk systems employing computer models to optimize skywalk layout (Carbon monoxide dispersion analysis in downtown Spokane, ESL Inc., Sunnyvale, (1973))

List of cities with notable systems

City	Length	Blocks Connected
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the Capital and most populous city in Georgia , as well as the 33rd largest city in the United States of America with a population of 519,145....		14 blocks
Bangkok Bangkok The city of Bangkok is the Capital , largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai language as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and came to the forefront of Thailand when it was given the status as the... , Thailand Thailand The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar.... (between Skytrain Bangkok Skytrain The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known by its abbreviation as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand.... Siam Station and Central World)	>2 km
Calgary, Alberta (+15 or +30 Walkway)	10 miles (16 km)	~64 blocks
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River , north of Iowa City, Iowa and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city....		15 blocks
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border.... (Skywalk)	1.3 miles (2.1 km)	15 blocks
Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines , is the Capital and the most populous city in the United States U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County, Iowa.... (Skywalk)	>3.5 miles (5.6 km)	30 blocks
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States....	10 Buildings	~ 8 blocks
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,918 in the United States Census 2000.... (Skywalk)		~17 blocks
Edmonton, Alberta (Edmonton Pedway Edmonton Pedway The Edmonton Pedway system is a network of pedestrian pedway and tunnels connecting to various office buildings, shopping centres, & parkades around Downtown Edmonton Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.... )		~13 blocks
Fargo, North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota. In 2008, its population was estimated at nearly 100,000 and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 192,417....
Grand Rapids, MI (Skywalk)	>1 mile (1.7 km)	7 blocks - connects 12,000-seat VanAndel Arena, JW Marriott, Amway Grand Plaza and Marriott Courtyard hotels as well as . DeVos Place Convention Center
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south.... (footbridges)
Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles .... (skyways are a small part of the larger Houston Downtown Tunnel System Houston Downtown Tunnel System The Houston tunnel system is a underground city 6 m below Houston's Downtown Houston street system. The system is 10 km long , and forms a network of subterranean, climate-controlled, pedestrian walkways that link 95 full city blocks.... )	>6 miles including tunnels	~35 blocks (95 total)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Mumbai Mumbai— formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper has approximately 14 million people and, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, Mumbai forms the World's largest urban agglomerations according to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report with around 19... (Bandra Kurla skywalk)	1.3 km	Bandra to Kurla
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur , is the largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million.... , Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government.... (Petronas Twin Towers Petronas Twin Towers The Petronas Twin Towers , in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are twin towers and were the world's tallest buildings, before being surpassed by Taipei 101.... )	170m above the ground and 58 m long	between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, world's highest 2-story bridge
London London London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire.... , Barbican Estate Barbican Estate The 'Barbican Estate' is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with commerce and finance. It also contains, or is adjacent to, the Barbican Arts Centre, the Museum of London, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Barbican public library, the City of London School for Girls and a YMCA, forming the Barb... and London Wall London Wall London Wall was the defensive wall built by the Ancient Romes around Roman London, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in England....
Melbourne, Australia		Docklands area
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, the city ranks List of United States cities by population among United States cities in population....		~30 buildings
Paradise, Nevada Paradise, Nevada Paradise is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, United States and a major suburb of Las Vegas, Nevada. The population was 186,070 at the United States Census 2000, and estimated at 211,509 in 2005 .... (skyways provided in lieu of street level pedestrian crossings)
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota, the state's Capital .... (Minneapolis Skyway System Minneapolis Skyway System File:Skyway1.jpgFile:Skyway2large.jpgThe Minneapolis Skyway System is a pedestrian skywalk system that connects various buildings in Downtown Minneapolis enabling people to walk in a climate controlled environment.... )	>8 miles	~80 blocks
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....		16 blocks
Rochester, Minnesota Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the United States U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, it is perhaps best known as the home of Mayo Clinic and is also home to one of IBM's largest facilities.... (Skyway)		~17 blocks
Rochester, New York Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The Rochester metropolitan area is the second largest economy in New York State, behind the New York City metropolitan area....		20 buildings over 13 blocks
Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul is the state capital and second most populated city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Mississippi River, downstream of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, Minnesota, the state's List of cities in Minnesota.... (Skyway)	>5 miles	30 blocks
Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa and Woodbury County, Iowa counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,013 at the 2000 United States Census; census estimates showed a slight decline to 83,262 by 2006....		13 blocks
Spokane, Washington Spokane, Washington Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....		16 blocks
Vilvoorde Vilvoorde Vilvoorde is a Belgium Municipalities in Belgium in the Flemish Region Provinces of Belgium of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Konigslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie.... , Flanders Flanders Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....	1.6 miles (2.7 km)	9 blocks
Winnipeg, Manitoba (Winnipeg Walkway Winnipeg Walkway The Winnipeg Walkway System, popularly known as the Winnipeg Skywalk, is a network of pedestrian skyways and tunnels connecting a significant portion of the Downtown Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.... )		18 blocks

More cities and details: Montgomery, Michael R. and Richard Bean, "Market Failure, government failure, and the private supply of public goods: the case of climate-controlled walkway networks," in PUBLIC CHOICE, Vol. 99 (1999), pages 403-437, whose abstract may be seen .

Skyway

Early examples of skywalks

Environmental factors

List of cities with notable systems

See also