Field guide
Four ways to own a walkway.
Most systems look alike from inside. Their governance does not. The same glass bridge can be a public street in one city, a courtesy of the landlord in the next, and a density bargain in a third. This table compares the records in the atlas on the questions that decide what happens when a door is locked.
| System | Kind | Ownership | Hours policy | Enforced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok skywalksBangkok, Thailand | ● Elevated walkway | Mixed ownership | No published hours policy found. | — |
| Cedar Rapids Skywalk SystemCedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | ● Skyway | Ownership unclear | — | — |
| Central Elevated Walkway and Central–Mid-Levels EscalatorHong Kong, Hong Kong Island (Central and Western District), Hong Kong | ● Elevated walkway | Mixed ownership | No single network-wide rule. Hours for passages through private buildings are set segment by segment in lease conditions or Deeds of Dedication. The escalator runs 06:00 to midnight on a tidal-flow schedule. New privately financed links approved under the 2019 scheme must stay open 24 hours. | — |
| Chicago PedwayChicago, Illinois, United States | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | Set by each building owner or agency. No common operating hours exist; for example, the section under the Richard J. Daley Center closes around 6 p.m., and the Chase Tower link is open only during workday hours. | No |
| Cincinnati SkywalkCincinnati, Ohio, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | — | — |
| City of London Pedway and Barbican HighwalksLondon, England, United Kingdom | ● Elevated walkway | Publicly owned | No published opening hours found. Routes declared City Walkway carry a statutory right to pass on foot, so they are in principle open at all times, subject to conditions in each declaration such as off-peak maintenance closures. | — |
| Crystal City UndergroundArlington, Virginia, United States | ● Underground | Privately owned | No published hours found; access is set by the owner. Retail closed at the end of October 2024. | — |
| Dallas Pedestrian NetworkDallas, Texas, United States | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | Set by building owners; generally weekday business hours, closed weekends. | — |
| Des Moines Skywalk SystemDes Moines, Iowa, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | The municipal code sets 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily. The 2023 Uniform Amendment sets regular hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for signing owners. Since late 2023 seven doors have been locked from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for at least two hours after events at the Iowa Events Center or Civic Center. | Yes |
| Detroit downtown skywalksDetroit, Michigan, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | People Mover runs 6:30 a.m.–midnight weekdays, 10 a.m.–midnight Saturday and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday. The Millender Center level-2 pedestrian crossing is locked nightly after 8 p.m.; after 10 p.m. non-hotel guests at the Renaissance Center station must exit to the street. | Yes |
| Downtown Halifax LinkHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | No network-wide hours policy was found. Hours appear to be set by each connected building. | — |
| Dubai air-conditioned pedestrian bridges and Metro linksDubai, Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ● Elevated walkway | Mixed ownership | No published hours policy found for the RTA footbridges or the developer-built links. | — |
| Duluth SkywalkDuluth, Minnesota, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | Most segments are open Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m. and closed weekends and six holidays, as published by the Greater Downtown Council. Hours are subject to change; no city hours ordinance was found. | — |
| Edmonton Downtown PedwayEdmonton, Alberta, Canada | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | Each building determines its own hours and can change them at any time. The City publishes a building-by-building directory. Hours agreed for publication in 2016 were Monday–Saturday 6 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m.–6 p.m., and LRT 5 a.m.–1 a.m., but many private links now close earlier or are card-access only. | No |
| Helsinki underground pedestrian networkHelsinki, Uusimaa, Finland | ● Underground | Mixed ownership | Set by each facility. Asematunneli shops have had special permission since opening to trade until 22:00 and on public holidays. No published closing hours for the passages themselves were found. | — |
| Houston Downtown Tunnel SystemHouston, Texas, United States | ● Underground | Privately owned | Set by building owners. In practice the tunnels open on weekday business hours and close by 6 p.m., and are closed evenings and weekends except tunnels linking Theater District venues to parking. | — |
| Indianapolis SkywalkIndianapolis, Indiana, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | No system-wide hours rule was found, and each owner sets access to its own link. The Indy Arts Council lists business hours of Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Artsgarden. Convention center and hotel links follow facility and event schedules. | — |
| KAFD Skywalk NetworkRiyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia | ● Skyway | Publicly owned | No published hours policy found. | — |
| KLCC–Bukit Bintang Pedestrian WalkwayKuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ● Elevated walkway | Ownership unclear | No published hours policy found. | — |
| La Défense pedestrian deck (la dalle)Puteaux / Courbevoie, Île-de-France, France | ● Elevated walkway | Publicly owned | Open-air public space with no published closing hours found. Vehicle access to the esplanade is controlled and limited to certain times, and commercial use requires authorisation and fees. | — |
| Lujiazui Central Area Second-Level Pedestrian CorridorShanghai, Pudong New Area, China | ● Elevated walkway | Publicly owned | Not confirmed in an official source. Travel listings give lift hours of roughly 08:00–23:00; the open deck is used at night. | — |
| Makati CBD Elevated Walkway and Underpass NetworkMakati, Metro Manila, Philippines | ● Mixed levels | Privately owned | Not found. No published hours for the elevated walkways or underpasses were located. | — |
| Milwaukee SkywalkMilwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | ● Skyway | Ownership unclear | — | — |
| Minneapolis Skyway SystemMinneapolis, Minnesota, United States | ● Skyway | Privately owned | Zoning standards require skyways approved under the 2016 rules to be open Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m. and Sunday noon–6 p.m. Older skyways are exempt, and each building sets its own hours. Most connected buildings now close around 6 p.m. on weekdays and stay closed on weekends. | No |
| Morristown SkymartMorristown, Tennessee, United States | ● Elevated walkway | Publicly owned | Open-air public walkway; no hours policy found. | — |
| Mumbai SkywalksMumbai, Maharashtra, India | ● Elevated walkway | Publicly owned | No published hours policy found; the skywalks are open public structures over streets. | — |
| Oklahoma City UndergroundOklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | ● Mixed levels | Ownership unclear | Open to the public Monday–Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., set by the Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership; closed on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. | — |
| Overstreet MallCharlotte, North Carolina, United States | ● Mixed levels | Privately owned | No published system-wide hours found. Access runs through private office buildings, and many businesses along the route open on weekdays only. | — |
| PATHToronto, Ontario, Canada | ● Underground | Mixed ownership | No single network-wide schedule is published. Access hours are fixed in each property's development agreement and in most cases match subway operating hours, but some access points close earlier or on weekends. | — |
| Peachtree Center SkybridgesAtlanta, Georgia, United States | ● Skyway | Privately owned | No system-wide hours. Each owner decides; bridges linking the Hyatt Regency, Marriott Marquis and Westin Peachtree Plaza remain open to the public, while others are sealed, employee-only or closed. | — |
| Plus 15 NetworkCalgary, Alberta, Canada | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | Council policy sets standard hours of 6 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays. Links may open longer, and any shorter hours or closures require City approval, signage and a detour plan. | — |
| RÉSOMontréal, Quebec, Canada | ● Underground | Mixed ownership | No network-wide hours rule was found. Most sections are open while the metro runs, about 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., but some building corridors close outside business hours. | — |
| Rochester Skyway and Subway SystemRochester, Minnesota, United States | ● Mixed levels | Ownership unclear | Closed to the public from midnight to 5:30 a.m. by ordinance since November 2019. Daytime opening hours of individual segments were not confirmed. | Yes |
| Saint Paul Skyway SystemSaint Paul, Minnesota, United States | ● Skyway | Publicly owned | Ordinance hours are 6 a.m. to midnight daily for all parts of the system, including stairs, elevators and escalators from public areas. Exceptions require a Council resolution, and owners must post alternative hours. Emergency Executive Order 2022-12 lets segments close no earlier than 11 p.m. and was still listed on the city's emergency-orders page in 2026. | Yes |
| Seoul Underground Shopping Centers and WalkwaysSeoul, South Korea | ● Underground | Mixed ownership | Set centre by centre by the Seoul Facilities Corporation. Gangnam Station's passage is open 24 hours with shops 10:00–22:00. Euljiro's passage is open about 05:00–01:00 on weekdays with shops 09:00–22:00. | — |
| Singapore covered walkways and underground pedestrian networkSingapore, Singapore | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | Underground Pedestrian Network and its vertical connections must be open to the public during rapid transit operating hours; the Elevated Pedestrian Network must be open at all times. Covered linkways are open-air public structures. | — |
| Sioux City SkywalkSioux City, Iowa, United States | ● Skyway | Mixed ownership | Published hours are Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., with some corridors closed after 6 p.m. Hours are set administratively under the board's rulemaking authority; no separate hours ordinance was found. | — |
| Spokane Skywalk SystemSpokane, Washington, United States | ● Skyway | Privately owned | Hours follow the needs and business hours of the owners who built and run each skywalk, together with the City Council's view of public safety and convenience. Central business district skywalks must open by 10 a.m. and stay open until at least 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, holidays excluded. The Council is directed to seek uniform hours across the system. | — |
| Tokyo Pedestrian DecksTokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan | ● Elevated walkway | Mixed ownership | No uniform policy. Decks that are part of public roads or station plazas are generally usable at all hours, while passages inside stations and buildings follow operator hours. Site-specific hours were not confirmed. | — |
| Umeda Underground Shopping StreetsOsaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan | ● Underground | Mixed ownership | Tenant hours set by the operator: shops 10:00–21:00 and restaurants 10:00–22:00 at Whity Umeda, with some later bars. Passage hours are not separately published, and none are set by ordinance. | — |
| Winnipeg Walkway SystemWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | ● Mixed levels | Mixed ownership | No network-wide hours rule was found. Links are typically open about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and each building sets its own hours, so many skywalks and tunnels close outside business hours. | — |
Glossary
- Easement
- A recorded right to use someone else's land for a stated purpose. Saint Paul's skyway corridors are private floor space with a public pedestrian easement granted to the City, which is what makes them public.
- Right-of-way permit
- Permission to build over or under a public street. In Minneapolis the city only permits a private bridge to cross the street; it does not own or control the bridge.
- Deed of dedication
- Hong Kong's instrument: a developer dedicates part of a private building to public passage, usually in exchange for extra floor area, and the public's right is written into the title.
- +15 fund
- Calgary's mechanism: developers either build a +15 bridge or pay into a fund that builds them, in exchange for density bonuses, under the city's +15 policy.
- Hours policy
- Whether the hours a system must stay open are set by ordinance (and enforceable), by agreement, by each owner, or not at all.
- Business improvement district
- A special assessment on downtown properties that pays for cleaning, security and sometimes skyway maintenance or wayfinding.
- Rightsizing
- Planning shorthand for closing or shrinking parts of a skyway network to push activity to street level. Contested wherever it is proposed.
- Conservancy
- A nonprofit that programs and raises money for a public space under agreement with the owner, the model Friends of the High Line uses and that is proposed for Saint Paul.