URB This Way to Better Streets

7/29/2019 URB This Way to Better Streets

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Brieing

This way to better streets:

10 case studies on improvingstreet design

Streets are hard-working spaces.They balance a wide range o uses,communicate values and signiy thetransormation o neighbourhoods,towns and cities. To be sustainableand it or purpose in the 21st century,

streets need to respond to the demandso climate change and shits in culture.CABE has reviewed 10 streets, looking atdesign development and implementationto unlock the lessons learnt. Theyprovide an insight into recentdevelopments in street design.This brieing summarises the indings.Details o the 10 case studies can beound at www.cabe.org.uk/streets.


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Background

Street design policies, ormalised in the 1960sthrough reports such as Buchanans Traffic intowns1, sought to simpliy and organise streetsthrough segregation. The result is that too manystreets are designed or traic movement alone,dominated by traic signs, with people herdedbehind guard rails into pinch points to cross theroad. We know that streets are ar more than thetarmac between pavements, but that is where

priority has been ocused.

However, change is around the corner. Manual or streets2, newgovernment guidance, recognises the wider role o streets in creatingsuccessul places. I t acknowledges that streets need to respond tothe complexities o public lie, promoting the interaction o people withdierent priorities, dierent circumstances and dierent expectations.It emphasises an interdisciplinary approach, innovation and exibility,and the need or a better balance between pedestrians and vehiclesin the design o residential and lightly trafcked streets. I t also statesthat these principles could equally be applied to other urban streets.

Growing awareness o the importance o risk in public space hasimportant implications or street design. The complex and unpredictableoutcomes o removing barriers illustrate how reconsideringlong-standing assumptions about saety and behaviour can provideopportunities or high quality streets3. However, research or the casestudies indicates that the role o highway engineers and the scope othe legal and regulatory ramework remain widely misunderstood.

CABEs 2006 progress repor t on improving the quality o streets andpublic spaces, Transorming our streets4, drew attention to the continuingneed to overcome widespread conusion about risk, innovation, liabilityand the use o processes such as saety auditing. A 2007 researchreport, Living with risk5, evaluates the impact o risk on the design o 10public spaces and sets out an agenda or public space design that isrisk aware, not risk-averse. The Manual or streets provides clarifcationo liability and street design. It proposes a quality audit to help integratemany o the ragmented processes involved in delivering streets.

1 Buchanan, C., Trafc in towns, 19632 Department or Transport, Manual or streets, 20073 Royal Borough o Kensington and Chelsea, Report

on road saety in Kensington High Street, 20064 CABE, Transorming our streets, 2006

5 CABE, Living with risk: promoting better publicspace design, 2007

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The case studiesThe 10 case studies eatured in this briefngand in much more depth on CABEs website(at www.cabe.org.uk/streets) help us to identiythe fve key principles behind successul streets:

1 Vision2 Commitment3 Integration4 Adaptation5 Coherence A

B C

D

EF

G H

I

J

A Bideord Quay, Devon

B Temple Meads Station

orecourt, Bristol

C Devizes Market Square,

Wiltshire

D OConnell Street, Dublin

E Newhall Phase 1,

Harlow, Essex

F Kensington High Street,

West London

G Hope Street, Liverpool

H Ancoats and New

Islington, Manchester

I Blackett Street, Side, and

Sandhill, Newcastle

J Maid Marian Way,

Nottingham

Case study Context Lesson

Bideord Quay, Devon A waterront street ina seaside town

Take climate action

Temple Meads Stationorecourt, Bristol

A transport interchangeapproach and orecourt

Provide continuity o qualityskills and resources

Devizes Market Square,

Wiltshire

An historic market town centre

with bus interchange

Be prepared or the long haul

OConnell Street, Dublin A major urban boulevardo national signifcance

Select visual simplicity

Newhall Phase 1, Harlow, Essex A new community and networko residential streets

Balance stakeholderneeds and interests

Kensington High Street,West London

A busy urban high streetand arterial route

Achieve organisationalconfdence

Hope Street, Liverpool An iconic street ocultural signifcance

Connect with place and history

Ancoats and NewIslington, Manchester

A network o streets as part o theregeneration o an urban village

Challenge long-heldassumptions

Blackett Street, Side, andSandhill, Newcastle

A network o historic streets toserve a busy bus network

Integrate slower design speeds

Maid Marian Way, Nottingham A repaired inner-city ring roadwith at-grade crossings

Establish rameworksor communications

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1. VisionMaintain a strong physical and

organisational vision. Solveproblems within that ramework,adapting structures and servicedelivery accordingly.

Be conident as an organisationGood street design requires the co-operationand integration o a wide range o proessionaldisciplines, user groups and local authoritydirectorates. Successul street projects canprovide a remarkable boost to the confdence and

organisational coherence o the local authoritiesinvolved. This is particularly the case when schemeschallenge conventions and require unusual workingrelationships. The widespread conusion aboutrisk, liability and the role o processes such assaety auditing oten constrain resh thinking. Todeal with risk a clear design vision or a scheme,supported by strong design leadership is vital.6

Kensington High Street works well as both a distinc tive landmark

and public space while also serving as a successul urba n

highway. This is a tribute to a combination o dedicated designer s,

progressive local authority oicers and clear-sighted and

determined politi cal leadership. David Moores and Geo Bray o the

Project Centre never anticipated that the scheme would become

such a signiicant and well-k nown icon o good street design when

they started work in 2000 (both pictured with Peter Weeden, Royal

Borough o Kensington and Chelsea).

Connect with place and historyStreets serve as statements o our collectivevalues and culture. All o CABEs case studiesdemonstrate an increasing understanding o theemotional and psychological importance o streets,and the relevance o such qualities to social saety,well-being and the promotion o civility. The issueo tree replacement is one specifc example wherechange and renewal can prove particularly painuland unpopular, calling or imaginative processesand public engagement to recognise the emotionalas well as practical issues surrounding change.Streets should promote the character o place byresponding to and reinorcing locally distinctivepatterns o development, landscape and culture.

The integration o creative artists into the designteams at the outset characterises almost all o theselected case studies. Some streets provide aperect public gallery or monumental art, eitherpermanent or temporary. Others incorporate quirkydetails to intrigue and delight at a scale that suitschildren or to civilise residential streets or simplyto reinorce connections with place and history.

Some streets assume a symbolic and iconic signiicance well

beyond their unction as spaces or movement and public

interaction. In Liverpool, Hope Street serves the citys amous

landmarks and cultural institutions, including the citys two great

Protestant and Catholic cathedrals.

6 CABE, Living with risk: promoting better public space design, 2007

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Challenge long-held assumptionsStreets and public spaces are hugely important asdrivers o economic and social regeneration. Freshideas and challenges to long-held assumptions wereevident in all the schemes. This suggests a muchneeded renaissance in the design, management andleadership qualities necessary to deliver great streets.Streets can serve as important statements o intent,helping to raise aspirations and demonstrate potentialstandards and quality. Such benefts can havewider value even when the physical measuresinvolved in schemes are short lived andmay need evolutionary changes.

Establish rameworks or clear, creativecommunicationAdapting or renewing existing streets can be hugelydisruptive. Most streets have to remain in use duringconstruction, and it is much harder to contain theworks or shield the public rom the inconvenienceinvolved in construction. Establishing rameworks orpublic involvement and sharing inormation requiresconsiderable creativity and resources. Handled well,street design can provide opportunities or communityengagement, particularly to promote interest amongstchildren, who are oten excluded despite the criticalimportance o streets to their lives and well-being.Some o the case studies highlight the extent to whichimaginative and creative structures or discussion and

communication can promote good design solutions.

Nottingh

amCityCouncil

Old Mill Street in New Islington, Manchester, represents a

vision or a 21st century urban street , and its striking design is

the centrepiece o eorts to raise hope and conidence in this

rapidly changing ormer industrial area. The tight urban grid

o Ancoats presents a particular challe nge to developers and

the Urban Village Company to evolve an approach to streets

that matches the robust Victor ian architectur e and sets a new

standard or integrating traic with urban design.

Nottingham City Council used good public relations throughout

diicult logistical site operations or the transormation o Maid

Marian Way. Communication and consultati on with the general public

involved imaginative measures; or instance , where the planting o

trees had to wait until the planting season , the word tree appea red

across the temporary paving. An imaginative series o handouts

kept the public inormed and a programme o art works and events

celebrated the new pedestrian connection.

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2. CommitmentBe committed to long delivery

timescales and to management andmaintenance ater delivery.

Be prepared or the long haulAlmost all o the case studies reveal the remarkablylong timescales required to initiate, plan and implementschemes. Ten years between frst reports andcompletion o works on the ground is not unusual.Most projects require signifcantly more time thaninitially anticipated. The time required to raise publicexpectations and to establish the need and potential

or change is usually underestimated. Timetables arerequently inuenced by political timetables, tradingcycles such as seasonal sales, other inrastructurechanges, transport imperatives and major events.It is rarely possible to describe a street project ascompleted, given the constant pressure to respondto other developments in the surrounding environmentand inrastructure. Adapting local structures andservice delivery will help to sustain this.

Devizes triangular market square serves as the transpor t

interchange or local buses and taxis, with traders and customers

drawn together around the central monumen ts and warmth o

local hostelri es. There is little to aler t the visitor to the 10 years

dedicated work and careul design that underpins the scheme

and it has succeeded in retaining and enhancing the vita lity o

this historic Wiltshire town.

Plan or high-quality skills and materialsThe benefts o simple, durable materials, capableo withstanding the impact o heavy loads andcontinuous activity, were evident in many casestudies. But there were still examples o decliningquality through inadequate day-to-day low-levelmaintenance. The loss o long-established skillsand the lack o coordination between agenciesinvolved in the maintenance and upkeep o streetshave contributed to the decline o British streets.Britain has no equivalent o the straenbaueror street builder, a proessional skilled in all theinterconnected elements o streets and commonto Denmark, Germany and many other Europeancountries. Although examples o excellent

workmanship were evident rom many casestudies, we still need new techniques and trainingi British streets are to achieve the standardsand quality o their European counterparts.

The station orecou rt at Bristol Temple Meads has withstood 13

years o intensive activity, coping wit h 6.7 million passengers a year

and high volumes o buses, taxis and private cars. It demonstr ates

what can be achieved through the use o simple measures o good

quality and careul design. The subtle deployment o materials

avoids heavy-handed control and management, allowing the

dynamics o the activiti es to resolve themselves by day-to-day use.

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3. IntegrationAccommodate everyone and every

dierent use. Connect street networksto help people to choose to travelsustainably.

Integrate the widest range o people and activitiesCivilised streets are used by the widest range opeople and activities, and good inclusive designshould reect this. It is important that those involvedin street design consider rom the outset how a ullrange o users are likely to access a street, ratherthan make this an aterthought. Inclusive design

should not, in principle, impose barriers o any kindthat aect the choice o movement7. Navigationalclues, such as tactile paving and changes in level,will work best where such barriers are removed.Slowing down trafc means you can remove thesebarriers. However, several case studies reported hereillustrate where problems remain. Programmes tohelp raise confdence levels and improve orientationand navigation are an important part o a public realmscheme or the young, older and disabled people.

Think outside conventional design

Many o the case studies demonstrate the potentialor integrated streets where trafc speeds lower thanaround 20 mph can be encouraged through streetdesign rather than through regulation. Disentanglingthe concept o design speeds rom speed limitsremains a critical issue to allow engineers anddesign teams to move outside conventional design.Examples include the acceptance o a wider paletteo paving materials less constrained by standardsurace riction requirements, and the use o narrowerlane widths. Slower design speeds are criticalto improving accessibility, providing maximumchoice and minimising disruption to pedestrians.

In Newcastle, the arrangements or Blackett Street and Side/

Sandhill all outside conventional highway arrangements. The city

uses pedestri an zone status to avoid the use o yellow lines, but

the streets are open to bus, bicycle and some occasi onal motor

traic . Both schemes have had a vital role in the transport network

or the city centre, and both demonstrate innovative solutions or

the relationship between traic and the public realm.

7 CABE, The principles o inclusive design. (They include you), 2006

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4. AdaptationTake account o climate and culture

change in order to deliver sustainablespaces that are it or purpose in the21st century.

Take climate act ionThe urgent need to reduce carbon emissions hasyet really to inuence street design in the UK. Yet itssignifcance is clear, rom trafc speed, lighting andplanting right down to details like the selection o pavingmaterials, and their transportation there. Streets willhave to cope with heavier rainall and more storms and

ooding, as well as higher temperatures. Although streettrees provide only limited opportunities or counteractingthe emissions rom trafc and energy use, they can be oimmense signifcance in the overall composition, qualityand scale o streets, providing edges and canopies.In many examples, trees can enrich space that wouldotherwise be highway dominated, helping to uniy theoverall composition and sense o space. With the threato warmer temperatures and more extreme weather,streets will serve an increasingly important role in publicspace and well become more demanding o them.

Work on the stretch o street and quayside alongside the Torridge

estuary in Bideord was origina lly tackled as part o a lood

prevention scheme, initiated in 1992 by Devon County Council.

The resulting street scape is a good example o an integrated

approach to waterront design, civil enginee ring o lood deences,

new buildings and the public realm.

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5. CoherenceDeliver projects where organisational,

political and technical issues areresolved into a coherent design solution.

Balance stakeholder needs and interestsIn common with much good design, the mostsuccessul streets seem simple and eortless.This masks the immense organisational, political,logistical and technical problems that have tobe balanced and resolved. Most street projectsrequire Byzantine diplomacy between dierentauthorities and stakeholders well as the patient

balancing o a multitude o interests and the infnitediversity o human needs and circumstances.

The Newhall development on the edge o Harlow exempliies the

eorts o progressive landowners, developers, consultants and

local authorities to establish a new language or residential streetdesign. The continuing role o the landowner through Newhall

Projects Ltd. has supported the creation and running o a Project

Centre. This has played an essential role in helpi ng to establish a

community in the new development, supporting and inorming new

residents and providing a wide range o services.

Select visual simplicityAlmost all o the case studies illustrate the beneftsrom the careul selection o a limited palette osimple, durable materials and street urniture.Streets serve as the plinth and visual rame orarchitecture and street lie, the backdrop or anunscripted play. Integrating street design into thewider built environment suggests a move away romstandardised highway masts and poles, and theuse o building-mounted lights to articulate spacewhilst achieving highway illumination standards. Thecase studies reinorce the importance o restrainingcolour and establishing consistent neutral tones inorder to achieve coherence. Visual simplicity hasimportant implications or trafc engineering and

road marking, and raises difcult design challengesto provide clarity or those visually impaired people.

BarryMasonPhotography

The scale and elegant proportions o Dublins OConnell Street,

with its combination o buildings, sculpture, lighting and trees,

positions it in the league o great Europe an boulevards. It drawshuge numbers o people towards its ocal point o the spire and

the GPO plaza. The economic and political conidence has been

restored, allowing the street to relect the positive aspirations o

the capital and the nation.

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Outstanding issues

Policy and practice is moving away rom segregationo trafc and civic unctions and towards a moreintegrated urban environment an environment that isunctional and accessible or all. But questions remainabout how to ensure that all members o societycan truly beneft rom a well-designed public realm.There are also organisational challenges or localauthorities seeking to integrate trafc engineeringinto a more comprehensive responsibility or publicspace. Above all, street design has to address climatechange and the need or more sustainable design.This discussion will include detailed questions about

trafc speeds, signals and movement, lighting,planting and the selection o paving materials.Changing weather patterns are likely to generateurther questions in the design o streets to cope withgreater rainall or ooding, and higher temperatures.

CABE is encouraging local authorities, highwaysdesigners and developers to bring together theneeds o all street users. Some disabled people,particularly visually impaired people, have concernsabout the saety o streets, where there is not a cleardistinction between spaces or pedestrians and

motorists. We look orward to the fndings o new workand research underway to help develop successulapproaches to designing streets that work betteror everyone. In support, CABE will be publishing apaper in 2008 to support an open dialogue aboutthe conicts that can arise between dierent userso our streets to help us move towards a betterinormed position on the design o integrated streets.

See www.cabe.org.uk/streets or urther ideas,research and inspiration.

The review was conducted or CABE byHamilton-Baillie Associates with Local Agenda.

With urban design and highways departments working together,

quality and ortun es o an areas public realm have been turned

around. In Newcastle, work on Blackett Street and Quayside has

respected the historic context and emphasises links with the

dramatic topography that deines that city.

All images Stephen McLaren, unless otherwise stated

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This way to better streets presentsthe lessons learned rom the designand management o 10 streets inEngland and Ireland. They rangerom a waterront on a seasidetown to a busy urban arterial route.This brieing, which also draws onCABEs expertise on street design,

sets out ive key principles that localauthorities and others involved instreet design should ollow vision,commitment, integration, adaptationand coherence i they are toachieve the same results locally.

Design better streetsThis way to better streets is part o a

wider CABE programme that providesresearch, guidance and case studiesaimed at promoting high-qualitystreet design. For more inormationsee www.cabe.org.uk/streets

As a public body, CABE

encourages policymakers to

create places that work or

people. We help local planners

apply national design policy and

oer expert advice to developers

and architects. We show public

sector clients how to commission

buildings that meet the needs

o their users. And we seek to

inspire the public to demand

more rom their buildings and

spaces. Advising, inuencing

and inspiring, we work to create

well-designed, welcoming places.

CABE Space is a specialist unit

within CABE that aims to bring

excellence to the design,

management and maintenance o

parks and public space in our

towns and cities.

Published in 2007 by the

Commission or Architecture

and the Built Environment.

Graphic design by

Draught Associates.

All rights reserved. No part o this

publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, copiedor transmitted without the prior

written consent o the publisher

except that the material may be

photocopied or non-commercial

purposes without permission rom

the publisher. This document is

available in alternative ormats

on request rom the publisher.

URB This Way to Better Streets

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