Better streets, better cities
Streets encompass roughly 20 percent of the total land area in a typical city, constituting the most significant and omnipresent form of public space. Acting as the backdrop for the daily unfolding drama of urban life, streets have long held this pivotal role since the inception of towns and cities.
However, in recent times, streets have been relegated to a narrower function, primarily serving as conduits for automobile movement. This situation exacerbates daily as the private vehicle count skyrockets. Recognizing this, numerous cities worldwide acknowledge how this trend deteriorates the quality of life and the essence of public spaces. There’s an urgent call to perceive streets as venues for walking, conversing, cycling, shopping, and hosting various social functions essential for urban vitality.
Moreover, streets play a crucial role in shaping a city’s identity. For instance, Broadway defines New York just as Market Street characterizes San Francisco. The essence of cities like Chicago and Paris would drastically alter if Michigan Avenue and Champs–Élysées primarily catered to automobiles. Similarly, Ahmedabad’s essence hinges on Manek Chowk, and Delhi’s on the Rajpath.
Our city streets should mirror our lifestyle and culture. Their design must respond to the multitude of activities they facilitate. Furthermore, modern streets carry various infrastructure services such as water, sewer, stormwater, electrical, and telephone lines, necessitating coordination between underground utilities and surface layouts.
Thus, it’s imperative to design streets meticulously and comprehensively.
This guide endeavors to facilitate the creation of aesthetically pleasing, safe, walkable, and livable streets. It underscores the importance of designing complete streets accommodating all users. Through street and intersection templates, one can grasp how various elements converge for different types and sizes of streets. Additionally, it offers an overview of activities integral to the overall street design process.
Intended for planners, urban designers, landscape architects, civil engineers, and notably, government officials and citizens invested in enhancing urban environments and street character, this guide isn’t definitive but rather aims to frame questions and provide directional insights.
Download:
https://www.itdp.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/07.-Better-Streets-Better-Cities-EN.pdf
