Meaning & use
pedestrianize
Last updated
Meaning
verbtransitive
To change a street or public area so that cars and other vehicles are not allowed and only people walking can use it.
Grammar: Takes an object: pedestrianize the main square.
Patterns
- pedestrianize something
- pedestrianize a street/area
The city decided to pedestrianize the historic center to reduce traffic and pollution.
They pedestrianized the shopping street last year, and now it's full of people walking and cycling.
The council plans to pedestrianize the area around the station.
Word forms
| third person singular | pedestrianizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | pedestrianized |
| past participle | pedestrianized |
| -ing form | pedestrianizing |
Common combinations
- pedestrianize a street
- The council voted to pedestrianize the street to make it safer for shoppers.
- pedestrianize an area
- They pedestrianized the area around the market to encourage walking.
- pedestrianize the city center
- Many European cities have pedestrianized their centers.
- plan to pedestrianize
- The local government plans to pedestrianize several roads next year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- close off
- This is a more general phrasal verb meaning to block access to a road; it does not necessarily mean making it for pedestrians only.
- make car-free
- This phrase focuses on the absence of cars rather than the presence of pedestrians, but it is often used in similar contexts.
Word family
- pedestrianization noun
- The process or result of making a street for pedestrians only.
- pedestrianized adjective
- Describing a street or area that has been made for pedestrians only.
Commonly confused: pedestrianize or pedestrian?
pedestrianize vs pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person who is walking, especially in a town. Pedestrianize is the verb meaning to make an area for pedestrians.
Practice
The city wants to _____ the main shopping street so that cars cannot enter.
Choose one answer.
The verb pedestrianize fits after 'to' to mean 'make the street for pedestrians only'. 'Pedestrian' is a noun or adjective, not a verb; 'pedestrianized' is the past tense, which would not follow 'to' here; 'pedestrianizing' is the -ing form, which also does not fit after 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pedestrianize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.