CONTENTS

1.0 - Introduction 2

2.0 – Literature Review 4

2.1 - City for People (R. L. Jan Gehl 2010)

2.2 - Better Streets Plan: Policies and Guidelines

for the Pedestrian Realm
(Varat December 7, 2010)

2.3 - Qualities of Good Urban Streets-

(Zainuddin Ab Rahman April 2019)

3.0 – Case Studies 9

3.1 - Buchanan street, Glasgow, U.K
(Nate Storrin 2004)

3.2 - Arundel Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, U.K

(Nate Storrin 2004)

4.0 – Conclusion 13

5.0 – Bibliography 14

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 “Streets are almost always public: owned by the public, and
when we speak of the public realm we are speaking in large
measure of streets. If we can develop and design streets so
that they are wonderful, fulfilling places to be, community-
building places, attractive public places for all people of
cities and neighbourhoods, then we will have successfully
designed about one-third of the city directly and will have
had an immense impact on the rest.”
(Jacobs October 13, 1993)

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Fig 1- Road filled with vehicles
creating a mess.
(New York resources 2010)
Fig 2- Streets we all need more in
our cities.
(Denver’s 16th Street Mall,
designed by Pei Cobb Freed and
Laurie Olin.)
Fig 3- Three aspects of Sustainability
( shutterstock.com, 2019)
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1.0 - INTRODUCTION
Most of the city's public space is made up of streets. Due to
rapid Urbanization, street design in U.K. along with other
countries had prioritized vehicular movement over public usage.
As a result, the city is now experiencing issues brought on by
vehicles, such as traffic and asserted level of noise and emission
into the city (Coleman August 2011)Roads and streets are
emphatically not the same thing. While both connect places,
streets also have spaces for people, activities and movement
Different travel modes have been accommodated in the
historical development. There were relatively few conflicts
between the needs of movement and social space when walking
and riding horses were the primary forms of land-based
transportation, however traffic jams caused by horse-drawn
carriages were an issue in the busiest of cities. To address the
issue, the first passenger "motorcars" (motorized buses) were
introduced in London, for instance, in 1901. (Carmona 2021)of
pedestrians and exchange and transactions in the economic,
social, and cultural spheres are mutually beneficial. Despite the
fact that over time (vehicular) movement space has surpassed
social space, most opportunities for social engagement and
exchange only take place once the car is parked. The majority
of time spent on the street is spent by pedestrians while they are
walking, sitting, eating, waiting, etc. Urban areas that are more
aesthetically pleasing to people are being designed. (Rahma M.
Doheim (Assiut University June, 2020) The urban environment
is very individualized, making it challenging to quantify factors
such as how comfortable or safe a street user feels while
walking, among other aspects. Along with this numerous
examples include walled or gated developments that "assert
their privateness by refusing any link with the surrounding
landscape," and vehicle commercial strips lacking space for
pedestrians. (Carmona 2021) (B. S. Jan Gehl December 30,
2013)
The term "sustainability" first appears in the Oxford English
Dictionary in the second part of the twentieth century (Van Zon,
2002). There are three important aspects of sustainability such
as Environmental, economic and social. Contextual frameworks
try to capture public life by considering the spatial settings of
streets, whereas functional frameworks focus on the
transportation-related features of streets.
2
 Social and emotional advantages of a well-planned
urban space that runs fairly and has something to offer
a variety of people. However, taking these advantages
into account it is crucial if we are to make fully
informed judgements about the cost values of investing
in well-designed streets. (Coleman August
2011)Sustainable development is defined as
development that satisfies current demands without
jeopardizing future generations' ability to satisfy their
own needs (WCED, 1987). In general, good street
design is valued by the entire city population and, in
hard times, provides a significantly better financial
return than conventional, vehicular-dominated street
design. (B. S. Jan Gehl December 30, 2013)

Fig 4 –Social Sustainability (R. L. Jan Gehl 2010)

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Fig 5 –Pollution because of private
cars is the maximum
(European Environmental Agency,
2022)
Fig 6 – Streets with Different modes
of Public Transportations
(Downtown 1-Way Street, NACTO)
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Urban Design Theory and Practice
2.0 – Literature Review
2.1 - City for People (R. L. Jan Gehl 2010)
Urban Streets are the best way towards sustainable cities
because Transportation is the major thing which contributes
to the overall pollution in the world. In the USA transport
accounts for no less than 28% of carbon emissions." If most
of the transportation system can be used for "green
mobility," such as walking, bicycling, or taking public
transportation, the sustainable city will be reinforced
overall. These modes of transportation reduce resource
consumption, cap emissions, lower noise levels, and offer
significant economic and environmental benefits. People are
more inclined to use public transportation systems if they
feel safe and at ease walking or cycling to and from buses,
light rail, and trains. The profile of the transportation
industry would change if pedestrian and bicycle traffic were
given higher emphasis, and this would be a key component
of all-encompassing sustainable policy. A healthy public
space and a strong public transit system are both essential.
The idea of social sustainability is broad and difficult to
grasp. Giving different social groups equal opportunities to
access public spaces in cities and navigating them is a key
component of the mission. When people can use public
transportation along with walking and bicycling, equality
benefits significantly. People without automobiles must
have access to the city's amenities and the freedom to go
about their everyday lives without being constrained by poor
transportation options. A significant democratic component
of social sustainability stresses equal access to encounter
"others" in public settings. Here, having an inviting, easily
accessible public space that makes a great place for both
official and informal meetings is a requirement.
Sustainable streets will benefit the social and environmental
areas while also boosting the economy. This is because
enhancing the physical state gradually changes into a
multipurpose roadway that may provide the economic
opportunity where commercial and retail facilities may
be created.
4
 2.2 - Better Streets Plan: Policies and Guidelines for the Pedestrian Realm
(Varat December 7, 2010)
Pedestrian Environment-
The term "pedestrian environment" refers to areas of the street where people stroll, shop, relax,
play, or congregate. This frequently refers to the sidewalk regions between the property line and
the curb, as well as intersection crossing zones. However, the pedestrian environment might
encompass elements of the street that are often associated with vehicle traffic, such as at street
fairs or farmer's markets, as well as the full street on smaller routes such as alleyways or
pedestrian walkways. (Jacobs October 13, 1993)
Streets space design and elements-
a) Curb Ramps -
Curb ramps allow wheelchairs, strollers,
walkers, crutches, handcarts, bicycles, and
pedestrians who have difficulty stepping up and
down high sides to get access between the
sidewalk and the roadway.

Fig 7 – Accesible Curb Ramps

(Varat December 7, 2010)
Curb extensions (also known as bulb-outs)
b) Curb Extensions - narrow the roadway and give more pedestrian
space at important spots by extending the
sidewalk into the parking lane; they can be
utilised at corners and mid-block sites. Curb
extensions improve pedestrian safety by
improving visibility, reducing crossing
distances, delaying turning cars, and visually
narrowing the street.

Fig 8 – Curb Extention

(Varat December 7, 2010)

c) Medians and Islands - A median is the section of road that separates

opposing traffic directions, or local lanes from
through travel lanes. Medians can be lowered,
raised, or flush with the road. In general,
medians are linear and continuous throughout a
block. An island is described as a space
between traffic lanes used for traffic regulation.
A median is considered an island within an
Fig 9 – Medians give space for plants and landscaping,
intersection.
aesthetically break down the size of the way, and make
space for walking refuges.
(Varat December 7, 2010)

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d) Temporary Street transformation -
Streets can foster physical activity, social
contact, and play by making them pedestrian-
friendly and limiting through traffic. Street uses
that modify roadways on a regular basis include
play streets, farmers markets, and festival
streets. On a less frequent basis, annual events
such as block parties and summer streets convert
public space for new uses. Designated play
streets can support existing public places such as
parks by providing opportunity for youngsters
and adults to engage in physical activities in
their communities. (Schwindeller 2014)

Fig 10 – Street transformed into temporary public space

(Schwindeller 2014)

The parking lane portion of the roadway, which

e) Parking Lane Treatments
is typically reserved for vehicle parking or
loading, may also play other roles to improve the
quality and functionality of the pedestrian realm
and provide a variety of streetscape and
pedestrian amenities, such as landscaping,
bicycle parking, and seating. Furthermore, on-
street parking may create a buffer for walkers on
busy streets by decreasing the detrimental
impact of passing cars on pedestrians.
Fig 11 – Trees planted in Parking Lane.
(Varat December 7, 2010)

A Street Park is the permanent conversion of a

f) Street parks non-arterial road into a micro park space. A
Street Park permanently closes a section of a
street to traffic, reclaiming the land for new
purposes such as playing, urban gardening, or
community meeting. This street transformation
technique works well enough on quiet
residential roads and may be appropriate for
Seattle streets designated as neighbourhood
greenways. A Street Park can be created to
enable safe cycling connections while diverting
traffic away from these routes.(Schwindeller
Fig 12 – Street Park at the Road enclosure 2014)
(Schwindeller 2014)

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a) Accessibilities
Wide pedestrian Paths
Bus stops
and Parking
Cycle tracks
No-Car
Street
Fig 13 – A Street with ease of access by
different modes sustainable transportation.
(Street design -Author)
b) Street Definition and Boundary
c) Active edge Uses
Fig 14 – A 2003 study of Copenhagen
shop- ping streets shows that the activity
level in front of active façade(Soft Edge)
is seven times greater than in front of
passive façades(Hard Edge)."
(R. L. Jan Gehl 2010)
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2.3 - Qualities of Good Urban Streets-
(Zainuddin Ab Rahman April 2019)
There's no question that the principal objective of a road is to
enabling people to travel through one site to the other and also
to destinations beyond it. A fantastic street will allow public
access at several locations along the roadway by connecting
or crossing roads and public ways.Access and connectivity to
surrounding locations must be addressed throughout the
design phase. Motor vehicle movement cannot control the
space and restrict the ease of other forms of transportation.
This is frequently done by decreasing speeds and sharing
roadway space with a variety of types of movement (Nate
Storring 2008)
Great streets define their physical boundaries well, set the
street apart, maintain an eye on the street, and become
destinations for city people. Good street design works
effectively with its vertical parts (mostly buildings), where
they exhibit respect for one another, particularly in heights
and appearance. Jacobs (1993) explains, “streets are defined
in two ways: vertically, which has to do with the height of
buildings or walls or trees; and horizontally, which has most
to do with the length of and spacing between whatever is
doing the defining".
The management of the city's edges, particularly the lower
levels of buildings, has a significant impact on urban life. This
is the zone you walk through while you're in town, and these
are the frontages you see and feel up close and personal. (R.
L. Jan Gehl 2010)
Soft Edge-
The street with shops lined up, large window, transparent
facades, goods on display and many openings is called a street
with a soft edge. There is much to see and touch here, giving
numerous reasons to slow down or even halt. (R. L. Jan Gehl
2010)
7
 Hard Edge-
The street with a diametrical contrast such as the ground
floors are closed and the facade consists of dull colours and
materials mostly black glass, concrete or masonry. There are
few or no doors, while everything is little. Other than need,
there is no reason to choose that particular street. (R. L. Jan
Gehl 2010)

d) Seasonal Strategies
Great Streets have obvious liveliness along their street
corridors, displaying the life of the city. According to Gehl
(1987), outdoor activities provide both mandatory and
elective activities that result in informal social
interaction. Use seasonal techniques such as Christmas
markets, parades, and leisure activities to keep the street
active throughout the year. If a street provides a distinct and
appealing experience, weather is generally less of an impact
than people originally believe. (Nate Storring 2008)

Fig 15– Christmas 2022 Market on the

streets of Nottingham, U.K
This Market was from 15th Nov.
to 31st Dec. 2022
(Photo by Author)

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 Introduction- 3.0 – CASE STUDIES
Buchanan Street is Glasgow's greatest street and
the real heart of the city, with its elaborately 3.1 - Buchanan street, Glasgow, U.K
adorned Victorian and Edwardian business
buildings providing a backdrop. It has numerous
(Nate Storrin 2004)
shops, two arcades, two main retail centres, a
museum and library, and a design centre along its
length. It has numerous shops, two arcades, two
main retail centres, a museum and library, and a
design centre along its length. The entrance to the
city's principal music hall both ends the street's
axis and aids in the turn into Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow's second major shopping artery. The
street is pedestrianised and popular with tourists.
There are a number of intersecting pathways and
public spaces that provide a variety of activities.
There is regular street theatre and a monthly
farmers market. In a BBC/CABE poll conducted
Fig 16- Street where people can easily walk and
in 2003, it was declared Scotland's favourite street.
socializ (by- Wen Vision, Dreamstime)
It received an award for excellence from the
Congress for New Urbanism in the summer of
2004.

Fig 17 – Buchanan Street map (Google Earth, highlighted by the Author)

Buchanan Street 2 Subway stops on either ends of the street

Adjoining Street Bus Stops at various points to access

Buchanan street

Access and Linkages- Tourist Places

It is located at the crossroads of Merchants City and Glasgow's Victorian commercial core. Two subway
stations are located at either end of the street, and the city's two main rail terminals are only a 5-minute
walk away. Along with the subway station there are various bus stops near the street which makes
Buchanan street easily accessible by public(Google Maps, Author)

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 Image and Design-
Buchanan’s street was designed by a team led by Gillespie's, a leading design and landscaping
firm in the United Kingdom. It is a design of extreme simplicity, emphasising the street's
individuality by reducing clutter and showcasing the richness and grace of its architecture.
Lighting is critical to the effectiveness of the design, and the street is unusually defined by
blue tones. The authors of the "Good Place Guide" named the street one of the top ten in the
United Kingdom.

Uses and Activities-

The neighbourhood is popular with both locals and tourists, but it is mostly a shopping street.
In terms of retail, it receives well over 30 million visits every year. As such, it is an essential
component of the largest UK retail centre outside of London's West End. Glasgow was
previously Northern Europe's most densely populated city. It had a sizable population in the
city centre. Economic depression, extensive reconstruction, stringent mortgage lending
practises, and the exodus to the suburbs during the 1950s have all helped to reverse this trend.
However, as part of its efforts to revitalise the city centre, Glasgow City Council is supporting
the conversion of vacant space on the upper floors of many of the commercial buildings
flanking the street to residential usage.

Fig 18– Christmas shoppers out in force Fig 19– People take part during a Enough is Enough
on Glasgow's Buchanan Street rally in Glasgow to protest rising energy bills and the
(Image: Wattie Cheung, Daily Records) cost of living crisis. (source- Glassgow live news)

Sociability-
Glaswegians are well-known for their warmth and wit. Buchanan Street exemplifies this and
is an extremely sociable location. It is the major promenade of the city, where people gather to
shop or socialise. The local-to-tourist ratio is balanced.

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 3.2 - Arundel Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, U.K
(Nate Storrin 2004)

Introduction-
This roadway was recently renovated as a component of a
major makeover of the central city shopping strip. The
design was spearheaded by a local artist in collaboration
with the City Council Designer. The road is approximately
500 m long and about 20 metres wide. It has dynamic paving
and carved benches celebrating famous Portsmouth
inhabitants like Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Fig 20- Street view
and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. (Nate Storrin 2004)

Fig 21 – Arundel Street map (Google Earth, highlighted by the Author)

Part of Arundel street which is

Bus Stops at various points to access
renovated into a public street
Buchanan street
Whole stretch of Arundel street

Access and Linkages-

This is a pedestrian-only zone. This part of the central city has grown gradually over the last 300
years. On a typical day, it gets a visitation of 25-40 thousand people, with good public transit
and nearby parking. The retail accessibility unit for electric chair users will be positioned at the
further end of the street soon.

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 COMFORT & IMAGE-
This is a downtown core location with unique chairs and art installations. It is one of the
Gold Zones identified by the Municipal Government for litter and maintenance. The
surroundings was designed to resemble the historic canal, which formerly had a reservoir
in the road but has now been restored. The waterway once linked Portsmouth to Arundel
and London, providing rise to the name Arundel Street. Quotes and phrases from
noteworthy residents and local youngsters have been etched into the pavement.
Uses and Activities-
The road is one of the shopping centre’s main pedestrian entrances. It has suffered
tremendously in the preceding 30 decades as a result of lack of treatment and huge trees
that hide sunlight, vistas, and raise the pavement. Visitors are encouraged to explore and
enjoy their free time in the new boulevard-style design. On the ancient granite blocks
utilised in the architecture, there is a concert venue and numerous perching spots. The
blocks were used as supplemental seats and natural scenery from the historic canal
wall and dry dock.

Fig 22 - Public seating Fig 22 - Public seating

Sociability-
The new landscape design has radically changed
the mood and lured many new users who visit the
area around lunchtime and thus are drawn to 'take
a look' rather than merely pass by. This is now
considerably safer, more accessible, and well-lit
street in the evening, with adequate CCTV
monitoring. The unique format is designed to
improve long term economic development and Fig 23 - Different paving's to segregate
leisure use. pedestrian flow with ease

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 4.0 - CONCLUSION

The city must be strong, unique, and have a great character, which may be achieved in
part through thoughtful street layout and design. Because a great street is supposed to
manage visitors, locals and strangers to form a collaborative partnership in protecting
both sides' safety and interests. Public spaces have the potential to enhance the standard
of living and ecological equity in modern cities by allowing for equal involvement
regardless of gender, age, country, or socioeconomic background.

The Buchanan Street case study demonstrates that by making a few improvements, we
can transform any socially inactive road with numerous issues such as traffic and
increasing crime rates into a healthy street. It is a major illustration of how streets may be
changed to satisfy people rather than allowing motor vehicles to govern the street space.

Fig 24- Traffic on Buchanan street in 1907 Fig 25- New Buchanan street 2020

If you can't replace the entire infrastructure, you can improve the streets with tiny
improvements. For example, from May to October, on the third Thursdays of each
monthly, four streets are blocked to vehicular for the evening and packed with festival
goers. Thousands of shoppers peruse items against a backdrop of musical, theatrical,
visual, and olfactory delights. At times, the roadway was packed with up to 6,000 people
(Nate Storring 2008).The built environment is crucial in characterising how an individual
travels in an urban area, and this understanding can be utilised to examine one's
perception of human psychology while making a decision to use a street. The
relationship between streets and people is enormous, and it is deepened further through
social, cultural, and economic trade.
Sustainable streets will not only bring value to the environmental and social aspects but
will also boost economic vitality. This is because, by upgrading the physical state, a
multifunctional street can indirectly change the economic ideology where commercial
and retails might be created.

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 Department of Architecture and Built Environment
Word count declaration: individual submission
I confirm that the word count details for this assignment is/are as set out in the table
below. The is a true and accurate record of requirements and my submission:
REQUIRED ACTUAL DIFFERENCE PERCENTAGE

3000 2890 110 4%

5.0 - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carmona, Mathew. 2021. Public Place Urban Space. Vol. 3. Routledge.

Coleman, Jim Mayor & Benjamin. August 2011. The Social and Emotional Benefits of Good
Street Design. Part 1 of a CIVITAS funded study, Brighton & Hove City Council.
Gehl, Jahn. March 31, 2011. Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. 6th edition. Island
Press.
Jacobs, Allan B. October 13, 1993. Great Streets. The MIT Press.
Jan Gehl, Bigitte Svarre. December 30, 2013. How to Study Public Life: Methods in Urban
Design. Illustrated edition. Island Press.
Jan Gehl, Rogers, Lord Richard. 2010. City for People. Island Press.
Nate Storrin, Kelly Verel. 2004. "Project For Public Spaces." Great Public Spaces, September
21: 3.
Nate Storring, Kelly Verel. 2008. "Project for Public Spaces." Qualities of a Great Street,
April 30: 2.
Rahma M. Doheim (Assiut University, Egypt & University of Business and Technology,
Saudi Arabia), Alshimaa Aboelmakarem Farag (Zagazig University, Egypt)and Ehab
Kamel (University of Central Lancashire, UK. June, 2020. Humanizing Cities
Through Car-Free City Development and Transformation. Egypt: IGI Global's
InfoSci.
Schwindeller, Mike. 2014. "Adaptive Streets: Strategies for Transforming the Urban Right-of-
Way." June 5: 64.
Varat, Adam. December 7, 2010. Better Street Plan: Policies and Guidelines for the
Pedestrian Realm. San Francisco: San Francisco Planning Department.
Zainuddin Ab Rahman, Sharifah Khalizah Syed Othman Thani,. April 2019. Identifying
Characters of Good Street. Centre of Study for Landscape Architecture,, Universiti
Teknologi MARA,Cawangan Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, Malaysia: Core.ac.uk,
13.

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