Reimagining Your Street

How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.

1 minute read

January 3, 2025, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Graphic illustrating street with various lanes designed in Streetmix.

Streetmix lets users easily mix and match lane types and street facilities. | Streetmix / Streetmix

Have an idea for redesigning a dangerous street in your neighborhood? Andy Boenau, writing in Urbanism Speakeasy, explains how you can easily illustrate your proposed changes using Google Maps and a tool called Streetmix.

Boenau writes, “The point isn't to do the civil engineering work for [planners and engineers], or analyze the intersection operations for them, or determine where exactly bus stops should be. There is value in technical expertise.” But residents can help planners get ideas and understand transportation needs from a hyperlocal perspective.

Boenau outlines the five steps to designing a street with Streetmix. After finding out your street’s width using Google Maps, you can plug that number into Streetmix and begin designing your dream street.

Thursday, January 2, 2025 in Urbanism Speakeasy via Substack

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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