Looking for a word - Boulevard for pedestrians.

[Penny]

My world has hover cars so streets are now all basically foot traffic. I have a wide open boulevard which enters the urban arcology where my story is set. the boulevard stretches up around 40 floors with hover cars using most of the airspace in it to travel inside the arcology, the bottom of it is dedicated to pedestrian traffic.
I have been calling "streets" pedways because eh, made sense. but a big wide open 8 lane boulevard seething with people shopping and going about their business feels like it should have a name. I am not sure Boulevard by its self is enough.
Any wordy people out there got anything in the repertoire that might fit?

I don't really feel like going judge dread on it and calling it a MegaPedway.... because no.

 

[Biskit]

Promenade?

 

[Abernovo]

There is a word, used in several British cities, especially those with a history of Society: promenade.

It is more usually used for walkways along beaches, but some inland towns have them.

EDIT: beaten to the punch.

 

[Penny]

hmm... seems a little old fashion for cyberpunk/sci fi. I am probably stretching it with boulevard tbh >.> good word though.

 

[tinkerdan]

Variation on footpath::
Footpath - Wikipedia
::Urban

pedestrian way
Maybe
Pedway
similar to segway

 

[sknox]

"Boulevard" pre-dates cars. I see no reason not to use it.

 

[Ursa major]

the boulevard stretches up around 40 floors with hover cars using most of the airspace in it to travel inside the arcology

If I were a pedestrian, I'd call it "risky", if not "dangerous"....

 

[Bagpuss]

You could go with "footway".

 

[Danny McG]

How about "The High Street"?

 

[The Judge]

I think "boulevard" is your best bet unless you want to invent a word.

An Italian equivalent of the English promenade would be "passeggiata" but, like the prom, it's something that's more used for a leisurely stroll (particularly an evening stroll for the Italians) than a manic eight-lane pedestrian thoroughfare.

Actually, would "thoroughfare" work for you? It's usually a main road in a city with shops and a lot of traffic; it's just in your case it's pedestrian traffic not motorised.

 

[Cathbad]

Actually, would "thoroughfare" work for you?

Pedestrian thoroughfare works!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Since this is SF, how about a spiffy new futuristic-sounding term? For example:

- the strollabout belt (belt as in beltway - this is a road for cars, but since your society has hover cars, something would have to be done with those old, abandoned roads).
- the jauntabout belt
- the stepabout belt
- the hikeabout belt
(You get the idea.)
If you like this general concept, I'll mention that I think 'walkabout belt' would be wrong to use because of the cultural appropriation issue. Just some thoughts - but maybe a new term is the way to go, CC

 

[Harpo]

How about The Course? As used in such terms as golf course and concourse

 

[tinkerdan]

There is Transit Mall.
For an Esplanade or boardwalk or boulevard.

Or a play on words and call it the Auto-Ban

Also vote for: Pedestrian Zones

 

[Phyrebrat]

Avenue.

I’d veer towards a more mundane term.

pH

 

[sknox]

Whatever you call it, the roads must roll. ;-)

 

[Penny]

thanks for the suggestions peeps.
@Ursa major - I am cheatery cheating, hover cars run on powerful electromagnetic coil drives, if there is a sudden loss of power or an accident their emergency state is a stationary hover so they kind of drift to a halt and slowly sink to the ground over about 5 minutes or so depending on the height as the power drains from the coils. I have a fight scene on some hover cars so I made them act that way for story reasons

@tinkerdan @Bagpuss - I am avoiding using foot, when describing anything where there are futuristic walking around things required. foot sounds very rural, and dirt paths and bare feet come to mind when I see anything described as a footwhatever. (yes this includes footsoldiers)

@Cathbad @The Judge - I like thoroughfare Ill try this one out, its kind of a toss-up between boulevard and thoroughfare, I am leaning towards the shorter word due to my dyslexia refusing to allow me to remember how to spell thoroughfare >.> (i copy pasted it all 3 times SHUSH!)

@Cat's Cradle - Beltways are such a bad idea. no i refuse. NO! think of the accidents and if you fell half on and off one, the friction burns :< NO!

@Harpo - I did consider concourse, the wiki definition is very... nonspecific, although it sounds smaller than the area I am describing at least to my mind.

Anyone I missed, thanks for your suggestion too

 

[Venusian Broon]

I'd be tempted to try and use the term 'bus' somehow, 'cause that's also the term given to connectors in a computer. (It's cyberpunk innit?)

It also derives itself from omnibus - 'for everyone', I believe. So perhaps...

...but it might be confusing 'cause everyone will probably associate 'bus' with 'large passenger vehicle'

 

[Wiglaf]

Pavement