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Pedestrian
Safety & Comfort
Streets and public
spaces that encourage pedestrian activity are essential characteristics
of livable, sustainable cities. Critical design issues include making
streets and public spaces safe and comfortable, and distinguishing
between public, semi-public and private spaces.
Streets well used
by residents and locals who feel a sense of ownership tend to be safe
streets. Secure streets are typically animated throughout the day
and evening. To encourage this, provide a variety of uses on each
site, design public boulevards to accommodate informal gatherings
and activities, and include appropriate security lighting.
Street life and
safety can be enhanced with facades that:
- are attractive,
humanly scaled and accessible to pedestrians, provide a sense of
enclosure, interest and variety;
- clearly signal
transitions from public to semi-public to private space, using arches,
gateways, thickened corners, etc.;
- orient occupied
windows toward public spaces to provide “eyes on the street”;
- vary ground
level uses and activities that encourage sidewalk use throughout
the day and not just during business hours; and
- avoid creating
seldom-used, natural hiding spots that cannot be seen by passersby
and building occupants.
Good lighting
is critical for safe streets at night.
- Provide effective
lighting onto sidewalks in accordance with illuminance levels and
cut-off angles as specified by IESNAs RP8.
- Provide adequate
lighting to emphasize significant street features: walls, street
signs, mailboxes and obstacles.
Creating comfortable
outdoor areas to walk through or relax in is also important for a
high quality street life. Flexible outdoor spaces offer a variety
of uses and are more likely to be used year-round. Small spaces are
more intimate and more easily shaded and made secure.
- Provide courtyard
spaces and other contained outdoor areas to provide a choice of
sheltered and sunlit outdoor spaces. Canopies, arcades and trellises
are three options to protect pedestrians from the elements.
- Avoid trapping
pollutants in spaces next to streets by using high tree canopies
or plantings that promote air circulation.
- Provide wider
areas next to sidewalks for shaded seating and small gatherings
that do not obstruct pedestrian traffic.
The interface
between buildings and public space is a critical feature of urban
street life. Clear transitions allow easy movement and wayfinding
while avoiding extensive signage. While it is important to mark the
transition from public to semi-public to private space, permeability
between zones is also crucial.
- Design features
such as stoops and entries to provide a zone of shared space neither
totally private nor totally public.
- Share entrances
between two or more suites, encouraging informal meetings of neighbors.
- In commercial
areas, make the entrances visible using canopies, arcades, widened
sidewalks, etc.
- Extend the
street space into the building at main entrances. Stimulate interaction
between public and private spaces with changes in height or level,
plantings, stoops and bay windows. Second-storey shops, offices
and residence entrances can further extend the public domain.
- Use the size
of transition areas to regulate the intimacy and intensity of social
activity.
- Ensure a visible
and attractive connection with main paths in public or semi-public
space, so that they are not hidden and unused. Give people a reason
to enter the space.
Cautions
- Simply directing
windows toward public spaces is insufficient. Building occupants
need a sense of ownership and responsibility for the street, which
is provided by balancing several of these techniques.
- Ensure that
sheltered areas are visible from the street, sidewalk and building.
- Avoid creating
small dark, courtyards that winter sun never reaches.
- Heavy and massive
arcades and other features can obscure retail visibility and affect
pedestrian safety.
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