The Future Is Here: Cities Are Making Separate Lanes for Phone Addicts
Smartphone use has altered the way people navigate cities, and planners in Xi’an responded with a subtle yet noticeable adjustment. Along Yanta Road, an 80-centimeter-wide, 100-meter stretch of sidewalk was painted in red, green, and blue to designate a lane for pedestrians who are using their phones. The idea came from a nearby shopping mall after cars began edging onto the pavement, which raised safety concerns for pedestrians who were already looking down at their screens.
Reactions were mixed. Some residents liked the added structure, while others treated it as a light joke about modern habits. Online responses echoed that split. People compared it to past waves of distraction and pointed out the obvious limitation that two people absorbed in their phones can still bump into each other in a narrow space.
The Early Experiment in Chongqing
Years before the Xi’an lane drew attention, a similar setup appeared in Chongqing in 2014. A property manager split a sidewalk down the center to create one side suited for texting and scrolling, and the other reserved for people who chose to look up and move without a screen. The marked section was approximately 165 feet in length, and users were specifically warned to proceed at their own risk if they walked while using a phone.
This was not a government mandate, but a visual statement designed to highlight the growing problem of distraction through humor and contrast. Ironically, many pedestrians either ignored the markings or failed to notice them, which turned the installation into a real-time demonstration of its own point. A similar idea had already been tested in Washington, D.C. during a National Geographic behavioral experiment.
A Peek at the Next Phase of City Design
These early lanes hint at how urban spaces may continue to adapt. Rather than forcing people to change overnight, cities are starting to design around existing behavior while still nudging it in a safer direction. A separate path for phone users signals that attention has become a defining factor in modern movement.
It may look humorous at first glance, but the concept fits neatly into a future where sidewalks, crosswalks, and even parks respond to how people truly live today.