A CASE STUDY ON STREET DESIGN

SONYA FAMBRO 12.12.13

ADVISOR R. DAGENHART
 CONTENT
INTRODUCTION 4

HISTORY 6-10

ISSUES WITH STREET DESIGN 11-12

EVERYDAY URBANISM 13

EVERYDAY URBANISM CASE STUDIES 14-18

GREEN STREETS 19

GREEN STREET CASE STUDIES 20-21

COMPLETE STREETS 22-23

COMPLETE STREET CASE STUDIES 24-26

CONCLUSION 27-30

REFERENCES 32-33

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http://wallpapersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/City-Streets.jpg

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Introduction

Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the standing of how streets should be designed. From Paul
South and like many other cities has experienced a Zucker’s Town and Square to Gordon Cullen’s Townscape,
cultural change in perception of the role of cities and urban designers and architects have attempted to recon-
urban spaces. With the rejection of suburban sprawl cile the new definition of a street with its design. Recent
and the recent migration of people into the city, Atlan- urban theories on street design suggest that the answer
ta is having a problem common to many urban cores to designing a good street lies in the exploitation of one
throughout the nation, their streets are no longer an- or more of the multiple functions a street can provide.
swering the needs of their populace. Streets in Atlanta For example, Green Street designs incorporate sustain-
have long been the realm of the automobile. Whereas, able infrastructure into its street design while, Complete
this was an acceptable reality in the twentieth century Streets suggest that roads should function for all its users,
it is no longer the case now. Streets and public right- not only vehicular traffic. These theories demonstrate the
of-ways in Atlanta account for 25% of the urban land. new conversations people are having about their space,
They present an incredible opportunity to address a urbanism, and development. The auto-centric view is
wide range of urban problems but are being severely no longer one that people are accepting in their urban
underutilized in their current state. environment, these theories provide Atlanta with a pos-
sible framework it could use in the redevelopment of its
Historically streets have been designed by engineers city and streets. However, there is no clear explanation
whose main goal was to move traffic as quickly as pos- in how we might design for these multifaceted, complex,
sible, little attention was given to “attracting people to and dynamic relationships.
linger in shared public space.”1 Over the years how-
ever, the relationship between people and their streets This paper will look at several contemporary theories of
have changed drastically. Urban designers like Allen street design in order to get a better understanding of
Jacobs and writers like Jane Jacobs have introduced how streets in Atlanta could be redesigned and repur-
ground breaking concepts of the proper relationship posed with the understanding of streets as being “sym-
between people, streets, and their design. No longer bolic, ceremonial, social, and political places [Jacobs 5].” I
are streets mere “public utilities”2 whose main goal is to will begin first by analyzing the history of the street as it
facilitate movement from one place to another. Now was established throughout ancient Rome, 15th century
the way we define our streets have become more com- Renaissance, the Medieval era, Baroque, New York in the
plex, more interactive. Urban streets today are seen 1900s, and modern day suburbia in order to give context
as a place of social and commercial encounter and ex- to the theoretical ideas that are currently being applied.
change. They are “places of movement, places where Then I will look at some of the issues in the design of
personal and political life flow together, and they ex- streets, in order to understand why streets are so difficult
clude no one.”3 With the work of Allen Jacobs, Jane to design. Finally, I will analyze each theory through the
Jacobs, and others the definition of a street went from use of case studies in order to understand how they dealt
being functionally driven to one that is both functional with and overcame the issues of street design and how
and social. With this new definition came an under- these theories might be applicable to Atlanta.

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http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/atlanta/
Scale: 1” = 2400’

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History
The design of streets goes back thousands of years and The organization of streets in ancient Rome was an axial
has taken many forms, most commonly radial, grid, plan. The basic principle for the design of Roman streets
and organic. Out of these three major street designs was simple, it consisted of laying out a system of coordi-
the grid pattern became the standard throughout nates about two axial roads intersecting at right angles,
most of the world and provides the bases from which of which the one, running from north to south, was
much of Western street design and theory develop. known as the ‘cardo,’ and the other, from east to west, as
The use of the orthogonal grid pattern in town plan- the ‘decumanus.’ “Field boundaries were driven parallel
ning reaches back to the ancient Near East and it was to these two axes, and the whole area divided up into
not until the fifth century B.C. that the Greeks made the a grid of squares or rectangles, which could be readily
grid the organizational scheme from which all of their described in terms of its relation to the two axial streets”
cities would be organized around. The earlier streets [fig. 2].4
of ancient Greece were irregular in shape and came in
a multitude of forms and array’s [fig. 1]. It was the grid Roman towns were designed with “a rectangle enclosed
pattern implemented by Hippodamus that became within a rectilinear circuit of walls, a pair of gates sym-
the most popular street design aesthetic and eventu- metrically placed at the middle of the shorter sides,
ally laid the ground work for the orthogonal scheme marks the line of what was, the road from Rome to the
developed by the Romans. frontier.”5 A second pair of gates, near the south end

fig. 1 fig. 2

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marks the line of a transverse street, which crossed the
main street at right angles. Parallel with these two axial
streets and with the walls was a network of secondary
streets.6

The Roman grid had several key advantages, it was a sys-

tem well adapted for military use and could be applied
with relative ease to newly acquired territory. These ad-
vantages demonstrate how the development of street
design over the centuries began to develop less as a
product of urban planning and more out of necessity –
this is especially true when one considers the adaptation
of the orthogonal street pattern by the Romans mim-
icked the organization of military camps. The design of
streets was in essence a sequence of collective actions
that evolved slowly over time, and was the result of
events or in response to terrain or orientation. fig. 3

It was during the Middle Ages that the development of

streets began to be informed by more than the need for has as its foundation a stringent framework for which
military protection. Due to the lack of space within the development and growth can happen. Gridiron plans
walled fortresses of medieval towns wider major streets run primarily in a north-south, east-west direction,
were developed through the city, to control for traf- “this regularity needs a definite way of measuring the
fic and safety, to create additional gathering spaces for ground” and as a result is often not connected with
events and expand existing market spaces. “Smaller, nar- the surrounding topography.9 As such, the gridiron
rower, curved alleys and minor streets were created off of establishes a hierarchy of streets with its immediate
major streets usually in response to minor changes as the inception.10 The gridiron plan allowed cities to grow
need arose [fig 3].” 7 in an orderly and logical fashion. As land was bought
and developed, the street grid would be extended in
During the Renaissance street design evolved out of the order to accommodate future growth, which made the
desire for discipline and order. Spaces were designed development of cities relatively easy [fig. 4].
with symmetry and balance in mind. This desire to create
a pleasing spatial relationship was based off the appeal With the Industrial Revolution underway during the
to aesthetics through structural clarity, which informed 19th century there would be a shift in the develop-
not only the cities of the Renaissance but, also their ment of street design that would define how suburbia
streets, which were believed to be “better straight and and suburban sprawl became popular urban design
very wide [Alberti, bk4 pt5].”8 movements. The urban landscape of the industrial city
was dominated by the improvement in technology
The evolution of street design in the United States de- and industry and the evolution of the street reflected
veloped out of the Roman grid from centuries earlier, this cultural phenomenon. Streets according to Sitte,
yet, unlike the Roman grid, the gridiron is a plan that ne- would no longer be characterized by their narrow di-
gates the topography in an attempt to build a city that mensions, as in the medieval period, they had to ex-

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pand in order to incorporate the significant increase in then became curvilinear, and wide in order to offer ci-
people and traffic. As a result, streets became an un- vilians a more pastoral and bucolic setting.12 Houses
deviating boulevard, miles long and so broad that its were setback to make the view more appealing from
dimensions could only be defined as huge.11 the street and trees were planted on either side of the
“pedestrian walkway” in order to act as both a physical
As a result of the chaos and blight of these cities middle and visual separator for pedestrians and vehicles.13
class people began to seek refuge outside of the city in
what would become some of the first suburbs of the Street design of suburbia at its height was primarily
nineteenth-century. For those who could afford it an concerned with directing traffic through the creation
escape into the suburbs or nature was meant to heal of street hierarchies. Street design began to evolve
physical ailments of diseases and depression that so around the automobile and the traditional planning
often characterized city life. These first suburbs would grid was replaced with “superblocks,” these which were
eventually be the inspiration of the suburban sprawl part of a larger traffic calming initiative spurred by the
that has come about within the past seventy years. growth of suburbia. it was within these superblocks
that traffic was directed into wide collector streets and
Suburban street design was significantly shaped by excluded through traffic by grouping houses around a
the invention of the automobile, which was a product cul-de-sac, which was served by collector streets and
of the Industrial Revolution. With the advent of the separated by common parkland [Research Highlights]
automobile peripheral areas became more accessible [fig. 5].14
and provided those who could afford it an opportunity
to escape from the industrial city. The suburban street

fig. 4

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Over the centuries streets were transformed in order are sensitive to the urban environment are growing in
to respond to cultural and aesthetic changes, to be- number, all in order to create sustainable and efficient
come more functionally viable, and accommodate the communities.
changing needs of the people and place. They have
been transformed into wide grand boulevards in the The history of the design of streets is far more layered
nineteenth century and in the twentieth century they and interactive than what I am suggesting here and for-
were removed and transformed into dead ends and ar- mulating a theory on street design is a complex under-
terial streets. The orthogonal grid was no longer appli- taking. There are many considerations and factors that
cable in many cities and was now replaced with large must be taken into account that have little to do with
collector streets, highways, and cul-de-sacs. the actual design. However, these are the elements that
make the design successful, and understanding the cir-
Today another shift is beginning, car usage is declining cumstances by which a particular street type has come
and cities are looking for long term sustainable alter- into existence, allows individuals to know if there is still
natives that allow for growth and encourage economic a need for this street type and how might we begin to
development. Throughout the nation, in these places, reconcile the changing needs of the people and the en-
efforts have been made to breakdown the super block. vironment, with what is currently there. Thus, when theo-
Municipalities have constructed additional streets rists, designers, and others try to decide on a direction of
between the parcels, policy initiatives have been em- street design and the level of interaction it should have
ployed to tear down highways that run through city with people and the surrounding environment, the task
limits, and community activists and organizations that is not easy.

fig. 5

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http://www.klinebooks.com/cgi-bin/kline/25692.html

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Issues with Street Design

It is important to recognize that despite the large tra- Street activity occurs only if it is convenient for large
verse of historical time there are a few reoccurring is- numbers of pedestrians to use it in various ways, but
sues in street design and development that designers even places that have a high density are not guaranteed
and theorists have made continual attempts to address. to bring activity to the streets. Creating theories that
Usually, street design was enveloped within larger ur- take into account various degrees of density is no easy
ban design theorems and has not, until recently, been task, theorists and designers must be aware that numer-
considered an urban design strategy worth pursuing ous other variables affect street use which often counter-
until the nineteenth century. Then streets began to act the potential effects of high density.
be redefined from their conventional definition as two
dimensional thoroughfares, into a complicated three [2] In order to acheive physical, social, and economic
dimensional network, which is understood to be part diversity streets must simultaneously “inhibit the use of
of a larger street system that makes up an even larger the automobile, support goal-directed activities, and
urban fabric. For Urban Planning theorist like, Charles employ the potential of the street space for unplanned
Robinson, this meant the “recognition of the street as a activities.”18 The inclusion of mixed uses produces not
site for homes, and not only passage.”15 only a situation in which people from various economic
and social standings can co-mingle it also, allows for the
Since the acceptance of the street as a part of commu- greater possibility of having diverse uses and activities
nity culture, it has been the goal of urban theorists to happen. The restrictions applied to cities and neighbor-
develop a concept that would enhance the safety and hoods however, tend to restrict a mix of land uses which
physical comfort of the street in order to “encourage often reduce the possibility of, and interaction in the
participation” to make it the “most desirable place to street.19 The public space of the street then is often un-
be.”16 Urban conditions like health, safety, comfort, ac- used because there is no place to go.
cess, the availability of light, air, and land use are only
a few of the considerations theorists, planners, and [3] Physical safety on streets is crucial in order to en-
designers must give to good street design. According courage pedestrian participation. During Antiquity be-
to architect Thomas Schumacher, “physical planning ing able to protect the city correlated with how streets
factors that appear most to influence street use are were designed. Centuries later, during the Renaissance,
[1] user density, [2] diversity, [3] pedestrian/vehicular the increase in trade and reduced need for the military
interaction, and [4] configuration of street and con- made possible the linking of urban street networks out-
text.”17 side of the city. As a result safety issues of another kind
arose, the protection of the pedestrian from the increase
[1] Density is important to the creation of a healthy in vehicular traffic. The separation of pedestrian traf-
active street environment. Without adequate density, fic from vehicular traffic is a constant consideration in
streets may become unsightly, unoccupied, derelict street design and while the complete separation of high-
spaces. However, one cannot design density, it is a speed vehicular traffic from the pedestrian is necessary,
matter of public policy, yet, theorists and designers “the complete separation of the two can be potentially
must address it in order to improve the public realm.

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harmful to street activity.” 19 The primary consideration in When we look at these concepts in more dept we begin
separating automobiles from pedestrians is pedestrian to realize that the dynamism of cities make these con-
safety which has resulted in the creation of pedestrian cepts difficult to implement. These of course are not the
centered public spaces. These spaces act to pull pedes- only considerations that must be given to street design.
trian activity away from the streets completely and leave The design of streets is a multifaceted endeavor made
them vacant. Theories then must “consider all the factors all the more complicated by the ever evolving complex
of pedestrian/auto interaction, not just traffic separa- urban condition. It is difficult for theorists “to know
tion.” 20 when a quality has been achieved in the best way.”24 As
we have seen when developing a concept about street
[4] “Configuration” of the street.21 Streets can be defined design much still remains uncertain.25 In recent years
in two dimensions, the horizontal – the width of the theorists have tried to tackle these factors and have de-
street - and the vertical – the building façade, the third veloped various urban theories. Much like the historical
dimension I spoke of earlier would be topography or designs before, each theory builds on the other, reflect-
landscape. The ability of the user to immediately per- ing in large part the mood of the culture, and filling in the
ceive the street as a figure, not only promotes a sense gaps that were left from previous design philosophies.
of enclosure and orientation but also defines the public Allen Jacobs described street design as a “leapmanship,
realm.22 The enclosure of the street as an outdoor room a point where it is necessary to jump from the known to
is a precondition for street activity and it is important to something else that is desired.”26 Everyday urbanism,
define it by the creation of a connected façade. Theorists green streets, and complete streets are that leap.
have to consider both the vertical and horizontal dimen-
sions of street design when formulating their theories
however, “numbers and proportions are not clear and it is
uncertain whether to know if building spacing or height
or one of the many other variables along a street will de-
fine or fail to define it.”23

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Everyday Urbanism
“Urbanism as a way of life” is the use of a “new position sites for everyday urbanism. The use of urban tactics as
in understanding and approaching the city.”28 There- a means to suggest change is the essence of Everyday
fore, everyday urbanism takes the ubiquitous everyday Urbanism. The tactics employed “allows a host of local
qualities of urban life and seeks to design urban spaces actors to test new ideas before making substantial politi-
based on “ordinary human experience.” 29 Urbanism of cal and financial commitments.”34 In this way tactical and
the everyday celebrates “the lived experience shared everyday urbanists create an urban laboratory in which
by urban residents” and suggests that designers de- they can see the measureable effects of their designs in a
sign out of the “banal landscape of everyday life.”30 particular area.35 “In an increasing number of instances,
For everyday urbanist Margaret Crawford and others, municipalities follow the lead of their citizens by more
it is within the ordinary that one finds dynamism and permanently implementing the short-term, low-budget
inspiration for “new social arrangements and form.”31 livability improvements initiated by citizen-activists.”36
Everyday urbanism “combines theories on urbanism An example of this can be seen in the creation of play
as well as other disciplines into a multidimensional streets in “New York’s Jackson Heights neighborhood.”37
consideration of the city.”32 It looks to emphasize the Play streets “re-purpose the public right-of-way for rec-
experience of the populace, acts under the assump- reational activities” and with no immediate park near the
tion that the design of spaces is a communal under- neighborhood where such interactions could take place,
taking, and requires input from the populace. Unlike the local community decided to close down a block of
other urban theories and concepts everyday urbanism the neighborhood to vehicular traffic.”38 The closure of
understands that urban environments are messy, loud, the street was initially just on Sunday but, with a growth
and dynamic and it seeks to accentuate these expres- in popularity and neighborhood the street was eventu-
sions of the city through small, modest solutions. It ally closed permanently. Another example of is Guerilla
underscores a cultural interpretation of the urban en- Gardening which is the gardening on sites that are va-
vironment over design and tempers the relationship cant or underutilized. The intent is to bring awareness of
between physical design and social behavior. In short the latent potential in these properties to provide envi-
culture is stressed while design is suppressed. This sug- ronmental as well as, social improvements to a neighbor-
gests a shifting of power from the professional expert hood.
to the pedestrian.
These adaptive urbanist techniques are a way for local
One of the tactics of the everyday urbanist is Tactical communities to bring attention to a particular local need,
Urbanism which is the attempt to make “short-term in hopes of inspiring a fresh look at these derelict urban
actions into long-term gains.” 33 Tactical Urbanism spaces. The inspiration for the improvement of these
seeks to use the everyday mundane urban spaces and spaces comes mostly from the desire of locals to make an
temporarily augment them in a radical manner that effective change for the betterment of their community.
would suggest an alternative use for the space. The These changes extend to the temporary adaptive re-use
everyday urbanist finds inspiration in the temporarily of vacant buildings in Portland Oregon, to the creation
of urban space because it is the interplay of differences of distinct Chicano art as advertisement for local services
that represent the city. It is within the spaces where in Los Angeles.
differences collide or interact that are the most potent

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Case Studies

[Yarn Graffiti]

Yarn graffiti or yarn bombing began in Houston, In 2011, International Yarn Bombing Day was created
Texas by a guerilla group called Knitta Please. The ob- Yarn bombings questions gender roles, public norms,
jective of yarn bombing is to create the unexpected what is considered art, and how people interact with
in the urban environment. “It generally involves the their environment. in an effort to encourage people
act of attaching a handmade item to a street fixture all over the world to partake in knitting cozies for their
or leaving it in the landscape.” 39 urban environment. The idea was to give people a cre-
ative outlet to express themselves and partake in social
Yarn graffitit is taking place all over the world, in a interactions that might not have otherwise occurred.
number of different capacities, and jurisdictions.
Unlike the more common spray can or marker graf- In Vancouver a community yarn bombing took place
fiti, yarn graffiti is not permanent or damaging to that involved “over 300 crocheters and knitters” who
property because of this it is often times left where it created individual mini cherry blossoms and hung
has been placed for long periods of time. It can be them on a tree that sits outside of the historic Joy
large, ornate in stitching, or have many differnt col- Kogawa House.
ors. Some yarn bombings have been large enough
to cover entire status, while other times it is a simple
wrap around a light pole. Either way they create
unique environments in bold and unusual ways.

http://www.elpadvisors.com/tag/tactical-urbanism/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/tpl_org/2941643107/
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Build a Better Block

http://betterblock.org/kansas-city-better-block-a-success/ http://teambetterblock.com/blog/project/san-antonio-better-block-project/

Build a Better Block is a commuity driven effort in which just local zoning ordinances to be more flexible in their
everyday urbanism tactics are used to bring awareness implementation and other times it was able to kick-off
to public officials “to show how the block could be re- private investments by developers and others who were
vived...if restrictive ordinances were removed.”40 Or- now able to see the potential of the space.
ganizers, local business owners, neighbors, and other
property owners collaborate on converting a neigh-
borood block or street into what they would like to see,
a vision of the future.

The blocks are constructed quickly with the help of

many people in the community. The better block looks
to provide a “temporary urban intervention that helps
the community picture permanent changes in the fu-
ture.”41 Organizers commonly use food trucks, pop-up
retail, and art instillations to create a sense of place.
Streets are usually temporarily redesigned to show that
cars, people, and cyclists can co-exist together to cre-
ate a community and environment that is economically
and socially prosperous to everyone.

There are a number of success stories coming out of

the community driven Better Block. In some cases local
http://betterblock.org/better-blocks-in-norfolk-va-highlighted-in-mit-white-
leaders and planners were able to get together to ad- paper/

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[Pop-Up Art Loop]

Pop-up spaces are intended to utilize vacant storefront

buildings for a temporary period of time. The effort be-
gan with large and small company’s as a way to create
“brand awareness” however, the concept was quickly
taken over by community organizers, urban planners,
and property owners as a way to revitalize vacant store
front main streets.42

Chicago’s Loop Alliance has taken this effort one step

further by turning these vacant storefronts and in
some cases unsafe alley ways into art exhibits or instil- http://chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/10/chicago-loop-alliance-uses-placemaking-to-
lations. The idea is to create an artistic loop that would promote-commerce/

activate an area of the city in which would normally

pass through. These pop-up galleries allow artists
the opportunity to exhibit their work in a setting that
might not otherwise be availale to them because of the
expense. However, with pop-up galleries artists, much
like retailers, can exhibit in a space for well below what
it would cost to rent it and in the process they increase
pedestrian activity within the area.

[Pop-Up Restaurants]

Similar to Pop-Up Retail, Pop-Up Restaurants allow

chefs to come into another chef’s kitchen or temporar- http://ny.eater.com/tags/pop-ups

ily utilize a vacant restaurant space in order to prepare

their particular menu. These Pop-Up Restaurants can
exist for a day or months and provides the chef an op-
portunity to test recipes and allows the property owner
and the public a vision for a space that would other-
wise have sat empty.

[Play Streets]

Play Streets are essentially residential streets that have

been closed to all vehicular traffic for a particular time. http://www.nycitysnaps.com/PlayStreet.htm

In essence these Play Streets came out of a need for

parents to have a safe place for their kids to play, creat-
ing an outdoor play area from a street.

http://www.nycitysnaps.com/PlayStreet.htm

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 http://citystudiovancouver.com/projects/keys-to-the-streets/

[Keys to the Street]

Music is thought of as a social activity bringing people

together as well as, providing entertainment. In ar-
eas where people do not congregate. For example, in
Vancouver, British Colombia musical instruments are
being donated and placed throughout public spaces.
These pop-up pianos are intended to bring music, fun,
and entertainment to an area. http://downtownmagazinenyc.com/pop-up-piano-event-gets-an-encore-in-city-parks/

Pop-up pianos have also been used in cities like Mi-

ami and New York City with a large degree of sucess
and is most times associated with bringing awareness
to a larger cultural and artistic scene. Sometimes per-
formances are staged by pianists in what my be called
a pop-up music festival. Other times the pianos are
painted by local or celebrity artistis or placed in con-
junction with another pop-up entities like, food trucks
or pop-up retail.

Bringing music to the urban environment has helped

http://downtownmagazinenyc.com/pop-up-piano-event-gets-an-encore-in-city-parks/
communities build a sense of place and encourage
community interactions.

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Green Streets
The green street design approach is a concept that They are designed to merge the natural hydrological
arose out of the larger sustainability movement of the cycle, managed through the mimicry of natural eco-
twentieth century. It has multiple uses and seeks to systems, with a designed urbanscape. Through the use
provide a creative sustainable alternative to traditional of planting and a reduction in the impervious surface
streetscape designs. “By design and function, urban area, water is filtered through the urbanscape before
areas are covered with impervious surfaces: roofs, going into streams and rivers. Minimizing the amount
roads, sidewalks, and parking lots.”43 Due to the large of pollution that pours into our rivers and streams and
amount of impervious surfaces in urban areas when it reducing the impact on our stormwater systems.
rains the impervious surfaces greatly reduces the wa-
ter ability to soak into the ground which leads to “in- Green street design can vary depending on a number
creases in runoff volume and high runoff peak flows,” of factors like the needs of the street, the amount of
which are damaging not only to the environment right-of-way, and the layout of the street. Many streets
but, also surrounding property.44 These alterations in are oversized for their typical everyday function be-
ecology increases the potential of flooding and more cause they were designed to accommodate emer-
importantly creates a great strain on the stormwater gency vehicles and provide a free flow of traffic. Street
infrastructure that is present. The impervious surfaces reduction initiatives are used as a part of green street
act as collection sites for vehicular pollutants and dis- design in order to reduce the amount of impervious
tribute them through the stormwater infrastructure surface, replacing the areas that were taken away with
and ultimately to local streams, disrupting the local a bio-retention curve extension or swell. There are
ecological habitat. As people became more aware of many different ways to design for a green street how-
the environmental costs that were being transferred to ever, the goal still remains the same, to reduce imper-
the surrounding ecology they sought ways to alleviate vious surfaces and runoff through the enhancement
the growing environmental impact cities were having. of ecologically friendly streetscapes and road improve-
“Roads presented many opportunities for green infra- ments.
structure application.”45

Green infrastructure seeks to make a permanent con-

nection to long-term sustainability goals through the
incorporation of infrastructure projects that mimic a
natural hydrological ecology. The incorporation of
these sustainable techniques into the public right-of-
way is considered a green street.

Green streets were developed as part of a larger green

infrastructure initiative that seeks to minimize the
negative environmental impact cities are having by
addressing problems such as, runoff, soil erosion, the
heat island effect, as well as, other sustainability issues. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm

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Case Studies

Green infrastructure can be adapted to street types room in which the traditionally defined boundaries of
from residential, arterial, and commercial. Residential pedestrian space and vehicular space intermingle. A
adaptations could make use of stormwater curb exten- storm water pipe, that encompasses trees and planting,
sions, which is a pedestrian bulb out that incorporates will act as the distinguishing feature of the street and to
a rain garden in order to help filtrate runoff, minimize buffer vehicular traffic from pedestrian traffic.
traffic speed, and increase pedestrian safety. Perme-
able pavers and stormwater catchments can also be Montgomery Street will connect to a larger Eco-District
used throughout the design of streets in order to allow that will retrofit surrounding right-of-ways and build-
water to flow through the topsoil and any excess of wa- ings with green infrastructure like, shared storm wa-
ter can flow into the stormwater catchments. ter planters, green streets, and rooftop systems. Two
blocks of the Southwest Montgomery Street Plan have
[SW Montgomery, Portland, OR] been successfully completed and two additional blocks
are targeted to begin construction within the next two
A bold and ambitious project the Southwest Montgom- years, including the proposed Oregon Sustainability
ery Green Street is a nine-block plan that incorporates Center. The Southwest Montgomery Green Street Plan
a variety of green infrastructure, sustainability strate- demonstrates how, in even the most urban conditions,
gies, and alternative transportation strategies along downtown streets can be planned and retrofitted not
its corridor. The Montgomery Green Street primary only to fully manage storm water runoff but to also cre-
design goal is to create connectivity among various ate, integrate, and preserve vibrant pedestrian spaces.47
surrounding amenities, provide connectivity to central
city business district jobs, and to connect to the greater
metropolitan area via the streetcar, future light rail, and
numerous transit bus lines. Through the use of a highly
integrated and pedestrian-oriented urban streetscape
that incorporates a variety of green infrastructure strat-
egies along its corridor including storm water swales,
green walls, and green roofs.

The Southwest Montgomery Green Street is a part of

a larger University District Plan that stretches from the
http://nevuengan.com/green-infrastructure/sw-montgomery-green-street-concept-plan
Willamete River to highway 405. According to the Port-
land State University Framework Plan the new pedes-
trian corridor of Southwest Montgomery will be the [Deaderick Street Streetscape Improvements - Nash-
primary east-west pedestrian connection. A curbless ville, TN]
street designed to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians,
limited vehicular access, and act as “calming streets to In 2009, Nashville completed a $4.5 million “green
vehicular traffic in the north-south direction.”46 The Uni- street” project along Deaderick Street, which convert-
versity District proposes using the street as an outdoor

20 | Studio Name | Project Name

a major downtown road into a pedestrian-friendly
boulevard by incorporating “sidewalk-level bioreten-
tion planters, bioretention curb bump-outs, a land-
scaped median, and porous concrete sidewalks, and
by planting 102 shade trees.”48 Hill Center Green Hills
is a 10-acre mixed-use project in Nashville that utilizes
a sustainable landscapes within the larger community
of Green Hills. Sidewalk bioretention planters, reduce
pollution and restore habitats.

[Swale on Yale - Seattle, WA]

Seattle has been one of the pioneering cities in the use

http://hpigreen.com/tag/green-street/
of green infrastructure. One great example of Seattle’s
commitment to green infrastructure initiatives is its
collaboration with the neighborhood of Capitol Hill in
order to prevent millions of gallons of polluted storm-
water from flowing into Lake Union and out of this
collaboration the Swale on Yale project was born. The
Swale on Yale project is comprised of a series of biofil-
tration swales, a pre-treatment swirl concentrator and
a diversion structure, which are intended to filter out
the pollutants in the stormwater before it enters Lake
Union. These swales will encompass four blocks on
Yale Avenue North and Pontius Avenue North.

[Milwaukee, WI]
http://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/DrainageSewer/Projects/SwaleOnYale/ProjectUp-
dates/index.htm

The City of Milwaukee Office of Environmental Sus-

tainability has recently been awarded a Coastal Man-
agement program grant to create a standard policy
for the implementation of Green Streets. A standard
policy for Green Streets will enable green infrastruc-
ture to be considered during the capital improvement
planning process and result in implementation as part
of the standard street reconstruction process. Ben-
efits of the Green Streets policy will be to prioritize
green infrastructure implementation where it is cost
effective and can benefit related City of Milwaukee
water quantity control efforts.

http://waterdrum.info/home/

Project Name | Studio Name | 21

Complete Streets
The Complete Streets concept intends to provide for other factor in defining a complete street is in the way
the safe use of the street by all travelers. In essence, mobility is defined. However, the implementation of
they are shared spaces that enables safe and comfort- complete streets policies has to do with more than
able access and travel for pedestrians, cyclists, motor- its physical design. One of the major components of
ists, and public transport. Moreso than the previous complete street policies is selecting a vehicular speed
two theories complete streets are “about policy and that is comfortable for all of the various users of the
institutional change.49 The complete street approach street.54 The policies of complete streets are attempt-
not only looks to alter the design of streets for more ing to redefine mobility in terms of total travel time
democratic usage, it also looks to change the “deci- as opposed to the conventional definition of travel
sion-making process so that all users are routinely speed. Complete street designs use “arterial traffic
considered in the planning and designing process.”50 calming measures” in order to “retrofit urban aerials
As part of this new approach policy makers developed which” ensures safe pedestrian crossing.55 Infrastruc-
“context-sensitive design concepts and techniques ture changes like road diets, narrowing travel lanes,
[CSS].”51 CSS is another policy approach which en- controlling for speed, synching traffic signals, and
sures that complete street designs “are appropriate adding median landscaping are just a few other ways
for the area in which a project is implemented”52 The engineers and designers have sought to calm traffic
policies that shape complete streets are not intended on arterial roads. Each of these policy initiatives and
to be universally applied, but, rather reflect the local techniques is in essence a way of making the arterial
context of their application because rural streets and street more accommodating to various other forms of
urban streets do not have the same type of users, with travel and users. The policy of complete streets is an
the same frequency of use. attempt at designing in a less conventional manner,
spurred by the “growing awareness of other transpor-
According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, tation modes.”56
typical elements that make up a complete street in-
clude sidewalks, bicycle lanes, shared-use paths, des-
ignated bus lanes, safe and accessible transit stops,
and frequent and safe crossings for pedestrians.53 An-

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/11/brief-history-how-bike-lanes-
became-hip/7465/ http://www.ca-city.com/complete_streets/fundamentals.html

22 | Studio Name | Project Name

http://englewoodcompletestreets.info/englewood-complete-streets-toolbox-docu-
ment-complete/

Project Name | Studio Name | 23

Case Studies

Boston recently adapted a Complete Streets program [Broad Street - Crossroads Initiative, Boston, MA]
in order to adjust for the growing number of pedes-
trians and cyclists and the decreasing number of mo- Broad Street runs throug Downtown Boston it intersects
torists on the roads. Their Complete Streets program with a number of important streets and connects many
aims to connect three sustainable initiatives together: to nearby popular districts for resturants, nightlife, enter-
Multimodal, Green, and Smart tainment, and shopping. Steps have been taken to wid-
en sidewalks, which allow for outdoor dining at nearby
The Multimodal component “incorporates pedestrians, cafes and restuarants, along with custom seating. Trun-
peoples with disabilities, bicyclists, transit users, and cated domes will be added to the new curb extensions
motor vehicle drivers” on the same road way. Green, along with lighting and crosswalk signals will all add to a
seeks to incorporate more Green Street initatives into more improved and friendly pedestrian streetscape.
the design of streets and Smart, incorporates smart
phones and ride sharing programs to create greater
efficiency in travel. The following case studies repre-
sent a few of the projects the Boston Transportation
Department have implemented so far.

http://bostoncompletestreets.org/projects/broad-street-crossroads-initiative-south-bos-
ton/attachment/broad-st-after-plan/

24 | Studio Name | Project Name

[Peabody Square - Boston, MA] [Dudley Square - Boston, MA]

Peabody Square is emerging as a thriving community Complete Streets Chicago Design Guidelines is a
new restaurants, housing and proximity to transit. The goal-oriented effort that provides guidance to the
goal of the new Peabody design is to realign Talbot community, developers, and engineers on creating
Avenue with Dorchester Avenue in order to expand streets that are intended to be designed and built to
greenspace, improve pedestrian safety, improve traf- improve safety for all types of transportation users.
fic flow, add bicycle lane connections, and create an CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein, described the efforts
outdoor plaza which would be utilized by cafes and of the Chicago complete street program as a way to
restaurants. All of these features will be combined “build and maintain our roads for healthy business dis-
with stormwater improvements like rain gardens and tricts, vibrant neighborhoods and high quality of life,
pervious pavers to create an environment that is safe, and measure success through improved safety, mode
friendly, and welcoming to all users. choices and livability.”57

Complete Streets Chicago: Design Guidelines empha-

sizes street design that will support the surrounding
neighborhood, transportation mode priorities, and is
Before not limited by rigid engineering standards. The prima-
ry goal of the complete streets manual is to reevaluate
how streets are designed, built and maintained with a
primary emphasis on pedestrians, public transit, and
cyclists.

http://www.bostoncompletestreets.org/projects.php?id=peabody

After

http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/Dudley%20Street%20Imag-
ined-%20Artist’s%20Rendering_tcm3-37144.pdf

http://www.bostoncompletestreets.org/projects.php?id=peabody

Project Name | Studio Name | 25

[New York City] [Complete Streets Chicago]

New York City has an extensive Complete Streets Pro- Complete Streets Chicago Design Guidelines is a
gram. Here bike lanes, vehicles, and pedestrians all goal-oriented effort that provides guidance to the
interact with one another in a cohesive manner. Bike community, developers, and engineers on creating
lanes are given a place on the street with a buffer be- streets that are intended to be designed and built to
tween them and vehicular traffic. Signaling lights that improve safety for all types of transportation users.
are specific to the cyclists keep them from prematurely CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein, described the efforts
going into the street. Pedestrians also have their own of the Chicago complete street program as a way to
space and signaling devices which keeps them safe “build and maintain our roads for healthy business dis-
from street traffic. All of these interactions work to tricts, vibrant neighborhoods and high quality of life,
ensure that each mode of transportation can be used and measure success through improved safety, mode
without obstructing the use of the other. choices and livability.”

Complete Streets Chicago: Design Guidelines empha-

sizes street design that will support the surrounding
neighborhood, transportation mode priorities, and is
not limited by rigid engineering standards. The pri-
mary goal of the complete streets manual is to reeval-
uate how streets are designed, built and maintained
with a primary emphasis on pedestrians, public tran-
sit, and cyclists.

http://www.wnyc.org/story/284533-ny-gov-will-sign-complete-streets-law/
http://chicagocompletestreets.org/

26 | Studio Name | Project Name

Conclusion
The goal of this paper is to demonstrate that streets and public spaces. This can already be seen taking shape
can be “more than public utilities,” they have the effect in some areas throughout the City. Local efforts in vari-
of “focusing attention and activities on one or many ous neighborhoods have introduced Everyday Urbanism
centers.”58 The concepts looked at show actual case tactics in order to make the urbanist, activist, city official,
study examples of how streets are evolving and how and others aware of the potential of the area. Initiatives
people are responding to new concerns. such as, Parking Day and pop-up retail have already been
used in the Midtown and Downtown neighborhoods in
Historically we have seen street design comes out of order to re-energize communities and policy makers to
a change in cultural needs. In the Medieval Period the potential of these areas.
there was a need to expand the functionality of the
streets by widening them. In the Renaissance, change
was spurred by an aesthetic shift. Designers empha-
sized symmetry and order and sought to use streets to
create views and axial relationships. Similarly, Green
Streets are in response to peoples growing awareness
and anxieties concerning climate change and green
house gases. Complete streets are in response to the
priority cities, have over the years, given to vehicular
traffic and the subsequent steady destruction of main
streets all over America.

Within these case studies streets are beginning to be

defined, understood, and designed in a multi-dimen-
sional capacity. Consideration is being given to sus-
tainability, people, ecology, and the surrounding envi- http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2013/09/10/elevate-set-to-return-to-broad-
street-in-mid-october
ronment. Atlanta is a city that for many years designed
its streets primarily with vehicular traffic in mind how-
ever, as more people move from the suburbs and into
the city center they will have to be redesigned. Each of
these theories provides an example of how that might
be achieved.

The primary objective of these practices is “to take a di-

lapidated street, and pave it, clean it, light it, and keep
it clean [in order to] effect a local metamorphosis.”59 http://wmevents.com/2013/01/weekend-in-review-midtown-pop-up-store/
This concept is useful to a city like Atlanta, as it begins
to redefine its relationship between streets, people,

Project Name | Studio Name | 27

Using the case studies as a creative reservoir of ideas One block over on Broad Street there is an abundance
for redesigning streets, the concepts of Green Streets of street life and pedestrian activity. The major differ-
and Complete Streets could be applied to a number of ence between these two streets is the treatment of the
streets in Atlanta. public right-of-way.

For example, Forsyth Street runs through the historic Albeit, Broad Street is not an intentional green street it
Farilie-Poplar District of Downtown Atlanta and is a part is easy to see how the character of a green street may
of the National Register of Historic Places. The area is be used to give definition and create a sense of place
considered “Atlanta’s historic central business district.” along Forsyth Street.
Forsyth Street is composed of a mix of uses which is
mostly offices and condominiums with ground floor
store fronts. It has a right-of-way of 56 feet, a 10 foot
sidewalk, and 7 foot dedicated parking lane. Despite
the density of the area there is little in the way of pe-
destrian traffic. Increased pedestrian activity will only 35’

come with some re-designing of the street to create

one that fosters diversity and interactions.

4’ 6’ 2’ 12’ 5’ 7’ 1’ 6’ 4’

Right-of-Way: Broad Street, Atlanta, Georgia

Broad Street, Atlanta, Georgia

Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia

28 | Studio Name | Project Name

 Broad Street has a unique character. Planters along the
tops of light poles softens the utility pole.

Thick vegetation makes being along Broad Street very

comfortable despite harsh temperatures. The tree canopy not
only provides shades and comfort for pedestrians on the street
which makes them want to be outdoors longer, but it also
produces interesting shadows and peeps into the sky.

The weakest point along Broad Street is the lack of trash

recepticles. After an event at Woodruff Park this trash can is over
flowing. Despite the event however, trash cans along Broad
Street commonly look like this because of all the resturants in
the vicinity.

Individuals and students regularly ride their bikes through

this area. Bike racks are placed alongside planters for those
who chose to use an alternative method of transportation.

Plan: Broad Street, Atlanta, Georgia

Street Wall: Broad Street, Atlanta, Georgia

Project Name | Studio Name | 29

Using the Green Street case studies as examples, rela- Depending on the street type, usage, surrounding
tively low cost green design could be implemented density, and land use concepts like these would be ap-
into the Forsyth streetscape. Temporary, low cost ef- plicable to many other streets in Atlanta.
forts like tree planters would help to define the street,
break up the hardscape, add shading, be sensitive to Redefining how we want to experience a place and
the human scale, provide visual interest, and other increasing the health, livelihood, and vitality of the ur-
benefits. Overtime on street parking spaces could be ban environment is essential to creating lively streets
eliminated and the sidewalks expanded. The planters and better communities.
would be moved closer to the street and replanted in
the ground. In order for Atlanta to continue to grow its urban core
in an economically and socially long-lasting way, it has
Additional green street elements like green roofs and to treat its streets as social outdoor spaces. Streets
green walls would be added to parking decks and to that are designed for and encouraging of multiple us-
break up the massive stone building facades. Food ers and activities create lively streets, increase social
trucks, temporary art instillations, and other Everyday interactions, and support neighborhood vitality. Such
Urbanism ideas could be placed strategically along the a metamorphism is “a desired component of any good
right-of-way and in underutilized ground floor office neighborhood and therefore any good city.”60
buildings, parking decks, and parking spaces.

Before After

30 | Studio Name | Project Name

http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/atlanta/

Project Name | Studio Name | 31

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32 | Studio Name | Project Name

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Project Name | Studio Name | 33