Thinking About Pedestrians, Bicylists, and Transit Users

Gary Toth explains that there are three rules that should be taken into consideration when creating a public space.

Rule One: Think of Streets as Public Spaces

"Roads can be shared spaces, with pedestrian refuges, bike lanes, and on-street parking. Parking lots can become public markets on weekends. Even major urban arterials can be designed to provide for dedicated bus lanes, well-designed bus stops that serve as gathering places, and multimodal facilities for bus rapid transit or other forms of travel."

Rule Two: Plan for Community Outcomes

"Communities need to first envision what kinds of places and interactions they want to support, then plan a transportation system consistent with this collective community vision."

Rule Three: Design for Appropriate Speeds

"Streets need to be designed in a way that induces traffic speeds appropriate for that particular context. ...Speed kills the sense of place. Cities and town centers are destinations, not raceways, and commerce needs traffic - foot traffic.