faced death threats. On the opening day, police officers were present to protect against assassination threats, and unhappy car drivers honked their horns on side streets to mark their displeasure although the event was well attended and marked by dancing and music. The posher shops on the east end of the street were particularly opposed to the change, and they tried to have the project restricted to its western portion which was dominated by bars and cinemas at the time. However the project quickly proved a success, and the area soon boasted more shoppers, cafes, and a renewed street life. Building on Strøget’s success, the network expanded piecemeal – another street and a few more squares were emptied of cars in 1968, and further closures took place in 1973, and 1992. From the initial 15,800 square metres of the Strøget, Copenhagen’s central pedestrian network has expanded to about 100,000 square metres. In 1993 Amagertorv (Amager square) was re-surfaced in a pattern made of granite, designed by artist Bjørn Nørgaard. Nearby areas were also pedestrianised over the years, for example Nyhavn in 1980 and the town hall square (semi-pedestrianised) in 1996 on the occasion of Copenhagen being the European Capital of Culture (the through road was removed although bus traffic remained, and the square is still bounded by traffic). Influence Architect Jan Gehl studied the new pedestrian area starting in 1962 and his influential reports and findings on the subject formed the basis of Copenhagen's subsequent broader policy shift toward emphasising pedestrians and bicycles. Gehl and Copenhagen's policies have later become influential around the world, encouraging cities such as Melbourne and New York to pedestrianise. Today The street is often credited as the oldest and longest pedestrian street in the world; in fact neither claim is true, although it was the longest pedestrian street at the time of its conversion in 1962. Rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux is longer, while Lijnbaan in Rotterdam was pedestrianised in 1953. And Laisvės Alėja in Kaunas, Lithuania is longer– stretching to 1,6 km. About 80,000 people use Strøget every day at the height of tourist season in summer, and about 48,000 do so on a winter's day. On the last Sunday before Christmas as many as 120,000 may use Strøget. Jan Gehl believes that Strøget is now roughly at its handling capacity on a summer's day, given its width at 10–12 metres and space for roughly