Cell Phone Pedestrian Lanes planned for Chongqing

The private developer Meixin, in charge of the theme park Foreign Streets in Chongqing, developed the first pedestrian lane reserved for cell phone users in China. The idea is based on a similar pedestrian lane in Washington DC set up by the National Geographic television channel for an experiment about urban citizen’s behaviors.

The Chongqing residents’ reactions vary between curiosity and derision. Is the real intention of Meixin really to reduce collision risks between the citizens? The project’s marketing officer said that the purpose – above all ironic – is to raise awareness on the considerable time that urban citizens spend connected to their cell phones, even while walking.