Global Designing Cities Initiative,

NACTO Designing Cities Conference, Austin, October 2015 Skye Duncan

skye@nacto.org
Global Street Design Guide // Preview @GlobalStreets
 September 2014 announced: 
2015‐2019 
$125 Million to Global Road Safety 
1.25 million
traffic fatalities
annually
 Global Leading Causes of Death 
Today      2030     
Rank  Disease/Injury    Rank  Disease/Injury   
1  Heart Disease    1  Heart Disease   
2  Stroke    2  Stroke   
3  Respiratory InfecIon    3  Pulmonary Disease  
4  Pulmonary Disease   4  Respiratory InfecIon   
5  Diarrhoeal Disease    5  Diabetes   
6  HIV/AIDS   6  Throat/Lung Cancer   
7  Throat/Lung Cancer    7  Traffic Injuries   
8  Diabetes    8  HIV/AIDS  
9  Traffic Injuries    9  Diarrhoeal Disease   
10  Hypertension    10  Hypertension   

Source: WHO Global Road Safety Report
Auckland, New Zealand 
Prague, Czech Republic 
Sydney, Australia
Amsterdam, Netherlands 
London, United Kingdom 
Buenos Aires, ArgenIna 
Mexico City, Mexico 
Glasgow, Scotland 
Barcelona, Spain
Prishtina, Kosovo
Urban
Bikeway
Design
Guide
National Association of
City Transportation Officials

Second Edition
Transport for London

Improving walkability
Good practice guidance on improving pedestrian
conditions as part of development opportunities

September 2005
Global Expert Network  70 ciIes from 40 counIes 
What Is Possible 
A New Approach to Street Design 

Users Context

Street Design

Desired Outcomes
•  Health and Safety
•  Livability and Quality of Life
•  Multi-modal Access
•  Environmental Sustainability
›
•  Economic Benefits
›

›

•  Equity
›

USERS 
Streets Users 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users ‐ Pedestrians 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users ‐ Cyclists 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users – CollecIve Transport 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users – Personal Motor Vehicles 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users – Moving Goods & City Services 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users ‐ Business 

NEW IMAGE
Streets Users – User Comparison  
Relative Scale Average Distances / 10 mins

2.4 km

, 3.3 km
0.8 km

4.2 km
Streets Users – User Comparison  

Space to move
50 people
Streets Users – User Comparison  

How many people can fit

in the same area?
Pedestrians 
Speed, Variations and Dimensions
Pedestrians 
Key Network Considerations
 
•  ConnecIvity 
•  Safety 
•  Permeability 
•  Choice 
•  Human Scale and Complexity 
•  Key DesInaIons 
•  Variety of Users 
•  Volume of Users 
•  Green Corridors 
•  Character and IdenIty 
 
Pedestrians 
Geometry

Residential Residential Neighborhood Medium Large

Residential Neighborhood
Ribbon Sidewalk Main Street 1 Commercial Commercial
Sidewalk Main Street 2
Sidewalks with Trees Sidewalks Sidewalks
Pedestrians 
Elements

Sidewalks* Pedestrian Pedestrian Refuge Curb Extensions*

Crossings* Islands*

Pedestrian
Signage and Countdown
Accessibility Vision-Impaired
Wayfinding Signals + Clocks
Ramps Guidance

Lighting Seating Water Weather

Fountains Protection

Active Trees and

Waste
Curbs Building Landscaping
Receptacles
Edges
Pedestrians 
Elements: Sidewalks

Frontage Zone Clear Path Street Furniture/Curb Zone Enhancement/

Buffer Zone
Pedestrians 
Elements: Pedestrian Crossings
Pedestrians 
Elements: Raised Crossings
Pedestrians 
Further Guidance

Designing with Existing Utilities Designing with Existing Trees

Cyclists 
Speed, Variations and Dimensions

Cycles Tricycles, Cycle-Rickshaw, & Pedicabs. Cargo-bikes & Cycle Trucks

Cyclists 
Key Network Considerations
 
•  Safe 
•  Connected and ConInuous 
•  Comprehensive Coverage 
•  Direct 
•  Key DesInaIons 
•  Sight lines 
•  Comfort and Quality 
•  Signage and CommunicaIon 
 
Cyclists 
Geometry

Buffered Curbside Parking Raised Cycle Cycle Street Greenway

Conventional
Cycle Lane Buffered Protected Track
Cycle Lane
Cycle Lane Cycle Track
Cyclists 
Elements

Elements

Cycle Cycle Cycle At-grade Advanced Two-stage Corner

Racks Parking Parking marked Stop Boxes Turn Queue Refuge
Corral Structures Buffers Box Islands

Planted Concrete Traffic Wayfinding Cycle Cycle Cycle Bridges

Buffer Buffer Diverters Signals Share &
Stations Underpasses
Cyclists 
Further Guidance

Cycles at Transit Stops Protected Cycle Intersections

Cyclists 
Cycle Share
Station Coverage and Size Station Location
CONTEXT 
Local Culture & Character 
Street AcIvity 
Building Edges 
Street Scale & Width 
Block Size 
DesInaIons 
 
Mix of Uses 
 Density 

Network & Hierarchy 
Natural Environment 
Mode Share 
 
STREETS 
Streets 

Pedestrian  Shared  Neighborhood  Large   

Special CondiIons Special 
Shared Streets
Priority Streets    Streets  Streets  Streets  CondiIons 

8.
Streets in Context 
Neighborhood Main Street 
Neighborhood Main Street 
ResidenIal Streets 
ResidenIal Streets 
Grand Streets 
Grand Streets 
Shared Streets in Commercial Areas 
Shared Streets in Commercial Areas 
Shared Streets in ResidenIal Areas 
Shared Streets in ResidenIal Areas 
Streets with Elevated Structures 
Streets with Elevated Structures 
Context 1:  
Neighborhood Main Street 

NEW IMAGE
Context 2:  
Central Two‐way Street 
Context 3:  
Transit Mall 
Global Case Studies 
Global Case Studies 
Grand Streets: Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina 

NEW IMAGE

Credit: City of Buenos Aires

Global Case Studies 
Grand Streets: Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina 
Global Case Studies 
Grand Streets: Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Credit: City of Buenos Aires

Global Case Studies 
Neighborhood Main Streets: St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore, India 

Credit: Jana Urban Space

Global Case Studies 
Neighborhood Main Streets: St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore, India 
Global Case Studies 
Neighborhood Main Streets: St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore, India 

Credit: Jana Urban Space

Global Case Studies 
Share Streets: Fort Street, Auckland, New Zealand 

Credit: Auckland City Council

Global Case Studies 
Share Streets: Fort Street, Auckland, New Zealand 
Global Case Studies 
Share Streets: Fort Street, Auckland, New Zealand 

Credit: Auckland City Council

Melbourne, 
Australia  
Swanston St 
Richard Smithers 
Stockholm, 
Sweden  
Gotgatan   
Daniel Firth 
METRICS 
 Before & AMer 

Project Site  Use & AcIvity  Outcomes 

CondiIons 
Pedestrian 
•  Context 
Priority Streets 
•  Counts by user  •  Road Safety 
•  Scale & size  •  Variety of acIviIes  •  MulI‐modal 
•  FaciliIes by user  •  Use at different  Mobility & access 
•  Signals & Signs  Imes of the day &  •  Speed 
•  Surface Quality  night  •  User saIsfacIon 
•  Landscape  •  Travel & wait Imes  •  Air Quality 
•  Artwork  •  Commercial acIvity  •  Urban Heat Island 
•  Noise  •  …..etc  Effect 
•  Air Quality  •  Storm water treated 
•  …….etc  •  ….etc 
 HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? 
Mobility‐Automobile Safety  Mobility‐Automobile Safety  Mobility‐Automobile Safety 

Mobility‐Automobile Safety  Mobility‐Automobile Safety  Mobility‐Automobile Safety 

THEN 
 HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? 
Access/Mobility (MulI‐modal)  Public Health + Safety  Economy 

Environmental Quality   Livability/ Quality of Life  Equity 

NOW 
APPLYING THE TOOLS
ACCRA, GHANA
Existing Street
 Existing Street

Remove Cars, Allow

Limited Loading

Temporary Surface
Treatment
Temporary Street Closure

Remove Cars. Allow

Limited Loading

Temporary Surface
Treatment
Temporary Street Closure
Temporary Street Closure

Loading at
Trees to add Limited Hours
Shade

New Paving
Permanent Street Closure

Loading at
Trees to add Limited Hours
Shade

New Paving
Permanent Street Closure
BANDUNG, INDONESIA
 Remove
Pedestrian
Bridge
 Remove
Pedestrian
Bridge
Add At-grade
pedestrian
crossing
Add At-grade
pedestrian
crossing
 Widen
Sidewalks
 Widen
Sidewalks
 Exchange
space for
private vehicles
for cycles and
public transport
 Exchange
space for
private vehicles
for cycles and
public transport
Changing Streets, Changing the World 
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 Available early 2016 

PRE‐ORDER TODAY 
www.globaldesigningciIes.org 

Skye Duncan 
          
Director, Global Designing CiSes IniSaSve   
skye@nacto.org 
 
 

@GlobalStreets