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Street Design Principles

Streets Are Public Spaces

Streets are often the most vital yet underutilized public spaces in cities. In addition to providing space for travel, streets
play a big role in the public life of cities and communities and should be designed as public spaces as well as channels for
movement.

Great Streets are Great for Businesses

Cities have realized that streets are an economic asset as much as a functional element. Well-designed streets generate
higher revenues for businesses and higher values for homeowners.1

Streets Can Be Changed

Transportation engineers can work flexibly within the building envelope of a street. This includes moving curbs, changing
alignments, daylighting corners, and redirecting traffic where necessary. Many city streets were built or altered in a
different era and need to be reconfigured to meet new needs. Street space can also be reused for different purposes, such
as parklets, bike share, and traffic calming.

Design for Safety

In 2012 in the U.S., over 34,000 people were killed in traffic crashes, which were also the leading cause of death among
children aged 5–14. These deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries are avoidable. Traffic engineers can and should do
better, by designing streets where people walking, parking, shopping, bicycling, working, and driving can cross paths safely.

Streets Are Ecosystems

Streets should be designed as ecosystems where man-made systems interface with natural systems. From pervious
pavements and bioswales that manage storm- water run-off to street trees that provide shade and are critical to the
health of cities, ecology has the potential to act as a driver for long- term, sustainable design.

Act Now!

Implementing projects quickly and using low-cost materials helps inform public decision making. Cities across the U.S. have
begun using a phased approach to major redesigns, where interim materials are used in the short term and later replaced
by permanent materials once funding is available and the public has tested the design thoroughly.

Footnotes
+ More Info
1. Richard Campbell and Margaret Wittgens, “The Business Case for Active Transportation: The Economic Benefits
of Walking and Cycling (/docs/usdg/business_case_for_active_transportation_campbell.pdf),” (Gloucester, ON:
Go For Green, 2004).

Kelly Clifton, Christopher Muhs, Sara Morrissey, Tomás Morrissey, Kristina Currans, and Chloe Ritter, “Consumer
Behavior and Travel Mode Choices (/docs/usdg/consumer_behavior_and_travel_choices_clifton.pdf),” (Portland:
Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, 2012).

(https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-
guide/streets/)
(https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-
Streets

Phases of Transformation
design-guide/streets/street-design-principles/phases-of-
transformation/)

Adapted from the Urban Street Design Guide, published by Island Press.

Subsections:

Phases of Transformation
Interim design changes for streets can be carried out using low-cost materials. These interim design strategies realize
the benefits of a full reconstruction in the short term, and can help build support for projects or test their
consequences. While not

Read More

(https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/street-design-principles/phases-of-transformation/)
 Street Design in Context
Context is a crucial, yet often overlooked, parameter in designing streets. Street design should both respond to and
influence the desired character of the public realm. Rooted in city goals and policies, designers can work to enhance
their surroundings by

Read More

(https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/street-design-principles/street-design-in-context/)

References

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References for Street Design Principles: 2 found.

Clifton, Kelly J, Christopher Muhs, Sara Morrissey, Tomás Morrissey, Kristina Currans, & Chloe Ritter. "Consumer Behavior and Travel
Mode Choices." Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
(https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/consumer_behavior_and_travel_choices_clifton.pdf)

Campbell, Richard & Wittgens, Margaret. "The Business Case for Active Transportation: the Economic Benefits of Walking and
Cycling." Better Environmentally Sound Transportation , Go for Green, Gloucester, ON. (https://nacto.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/04/business_case_for_active_transportation_campbell.pdf)

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