The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way

Writing in Streetsblog USA, Coby Lefkowitz attempts to convince readers that the right of way is the single most important element of the built environment.

A Right of Way is the technical term for the space between two property lines facing each other on a block. Specifically, it includes the roadway, sidewalks, public lawns, and sometimes even a portion of the private front lawn for each parcel. We’re going to stretch this definition to mean the entire area between two building faces.

For Lefkowitz, right of ways are key to creating good cities because “they frame our entire sense of place” and serve as the foundations for everything that happens on city streets. “When a ROW is too wide, we feel small and exposed. These are not good feelings. But making the right of way too narrow is also a mistake, as it can induce claustrophobia.”

Lefkowitz focuses on narrowing these areas to reduce vehicle speed, create more interesting streets, and reduce temperatures by providing shade trees and permeable surfaces. Moreover, “People are more likely to walk down a lane, or pop into a shop, if the way feels appropriately scaled for pedestrians.”

Pointing to the “remarkable transformation” of a nine-block stretch of boulevard in Lancaster, California, where a wide, unfriendly street was reimagined into a vibrant commercial boulevard, Lefkowitz asks, “hat other wonders might be possible at a broader scale, across the country? How much human flourishing (and economic productivity) are we leaving on the table?”