Urban Design: Streets
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The document discusses elements of urban design related to streets. It summarizes the views of several experts, including Allan Jacobs who argued that street design can build community by bringing people together, and David Sucher who advocated for "traffic calming" strategies like narrower streets, curb extensions, and trees to slow traffic and make streets more pedestrian-friendly. The document also presents examples of complete streets, transit-oriented development, and well-designed streets in cities like Vaxjo, Gdansk, and Lugano.
Urban Design: Streets
- 1. PLAN 4003: Urban Form & Design Week 11: Elements of Urban Design - Streets Anuradha Mukherji Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
- 2. ALLAN JACOBS Great Streets The functional aspect of the street – traffic movement has received more attention, not its social or community building aspects Modern planning emphasized efficiency, technology, speed, sanitation and health Large green areas, usually empty, to be used for community building While well-intentioned, these approach did not encourage public life. Created separation and isolation instead. Allan Jacobs: Can create good/great cities through good street design. Apart from the functionality, great streets also bring people together, builds community, and creates an environment for people to interact. Researched the qualities of great streets – observed, measured, surveyed. Looked at paving material, width of street and sidewalks, what adjoins the sidewalk, the placement of trees and parking, building heights, and seating spaces. Many cities today have either adopted or are in the process of creating a Great Street program.
- 3. DAVID SUCHER Comfortable City Argues: One that allows quick and safe transportation for people of all income levels without noise, danger and pollution or destroying city neighborhoods and rural landscapes Such a city would permit several modes of transportation to co-exist. Not arguing the merits or de-merits of any particular transportation mode American cities have always looked to big solutions (i.e., highways or subways). Instead arguing for an approach to street design that take a light hand, using many small-scale inexpensive strategies rather than one big solution.
- 4. DAVID SUCHER Traffic Calming Creating peaceful co-existence between the car and pedestrian Need to slow down traffic and give more space to pedestrian Cannot be achieved through speeding tickets, but through street design and education
- 5. DAVID SUCHER Traffic Calming Strategies • Curbs • Short street blocks • Grids not cul-de-sacs • Decrease turning radius • Raise pedestrian crossing to sidewalk height • Narrow streets • Visual signals through change in paving materials • Planting trees along the street edge • Allow on-street parking • Increase signal length and decrease wait time • Wider sidewalks • Ramps to accommodate wheelchairs.
- 6. Suburban Sprawl, Las Vegas This image is attributed to guidoanselmi @ 2010 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
- 7. Curb Bulb-out This image is attributed to Complete Streets @ 2009 (CC BY-NC 2.0)
- 9. North End, Boston This image is attributed to Mukherji @ 2013, All Rights Reserved
- 10. Automobile Parking, Wide Pedestrian Sidewalk & Sheltered Bike Parking (Hawthorne, Portland, Oregon) This image is attributed to Steven Vance @ 2010 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
- 11. OTHER CONCEPTS Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Compact, walkable communities centered around transit Complete Streets Designed to enable safe access for all users – bike, pedestrian, motorist, transit riders of all age and abilities
- 12. Complete Street, Charlotte, North Carolina This image is attributed to Laura Sandt, CompleteStreets @ 2010 (CC BY-NC 2.0)
- 13. Complete Street, East Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina This image is attributed to CompleteStreets @ 2010 (CC BY-NC 2.0)
- 14. Växjö, Sweden This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 15. Växjö, Sweden This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 16. Växjö, Sweden This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 17. Växjö, Sweden This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 18. Växjö, Sweden This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 19. Gdansk, Poland This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 20. Gdansk, Poland This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 21. Gdansk, Poland This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 22. Lugano, Switzerland This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)
- 23. Lugano, Switzerland This image is attributed to Andrew Strong @ 2015 (Used with permission)