DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR THE STREET CONNECTIVITY OF NEW URBANISM PROJECTS

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Summary (style Heading 4;Summary)

An important factor encouraging more walking is the connectivity of streets. In a highly connected street network, local traffic stays local, traffic becomes more direct, the arterial streets accommodate regional trips more efficiently. The analysis of street connectivity is performed from comparing new urbanism projects and existing urban areas. Although it is mainly focused on quantitative results, it includes both quantitative and qualitative ones. All of these projects are listed as new urbanism projects; however, they are different among them, depending on the characteristics and powers of stakeholders, including, on one hand, developers, designers, neighborhoods and municipal governments, and on the other hand, various external factors, such as topography and location. Therefore, the analysis includes comparison among new urbanism project areas as well as the comparison with other areas. This paper investigates whether the new Urbanism projects schemes fulfill their purposes for connectivity through the comparison between new urban projects and existing areas. New Urbanism projects have different fidelity to the New Urbanism principles, and there is a big difference between projects which were developed by people really trying to build in accordance with the charter and attempting to advance new urbanism and the projects focused on new urbanism and adopting as many features as they need. Because the latest may affect much larger urban environment, the understanding of this difference is important. This analysis is conducted through the comparison of some new urbanism project areas, situated nearby Bucharest. Keywords: Connectivity, Street system, urban planning

1
1.1

Definition and background

Initial Concepts

Streets cover probably the largest area of all public spaces, basically, each plot of land is bordered by one or more streets. Together with their infrastructure the streets are usually the most expensive element of the new urban development. Clearly, proper design of streets is one of the most important design elements in new urbanism projects. (New Urbanist projects) Planning new urbanist projects include mandatorily the design of streets. Urban planning and traffic simultaneously designed means: an environment built with different functions and different users, with trails for pedestrians, but also being able to take over transit and automobile traffic; a well-defined public space that is responsive to site characteristics and architecture reflect the climate and culture of the region; interconnected street network, based on good management of traffic and able to provide safety and comfort for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in transit. In this way, both drivers and

pedestrians will feel more comfortable towards each other. This balancing should be a design goal, because it will increase driving safety on the streets and in the neighborhoods. Children, the elderly and other groups of people who can not travel with cars are directly affected by those urban areas, in which the use of a personal vehicle is a must. When an individual can not be mobile, either for recreational purposes or for ex. taking a child to school without requiring a car, then its needs have not been met by that specific urban concept, that otherwise should be able to offer the individual different travel alternatives. Social effects of such requirements are difficult to measure, but they are undoubtedly very significant, the net effect of an environment dependent on personal vehicles representing in this case certainly a mobility handicap. New urbanism projects make the traveling without car possible and offer mobility alternatives in replacing car trips for travels that otherwise would be only reachable by car. (walking, cycling, and so on). If the planners begin to project facilitating a specific street user type in particular, the focus cannot be laid on design anymore. Planners must be careful not to step on a "slippery slope", because it can easily lead to significant degradation of the quality or security given by the street environment to other road users. [1]

2
2.1

Features [2]
Connectivity

New streets must be interconnected. This principle is essential in designing a new urban development. There might be exceptions only when, either the topographical conditions do not allow it or some special weather conditions prevent the connection. So in case it proves difficult to ensure the streets continuity there are other design alternatives such as cul-desacs type that can be considered. In Romania this street type is called blind alley (dead end street) and can have a length of 100 m and a width of min. 5.50 m for the two lanes. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1 Blind alley/dead end street type in a urbanist project

2.2

Concept of "Lanes" and Shared Street Space

Another essential principle that planners must take into account refers to the required width of the traffic lane. A street does not necessarily need to have one lane for each traffic direction plus an extra lane for parking. The traffic on a street having the width of a single

traffic lane can be regulated through speed limit traffic signs. An example of this concept can often be found in the narrow streets of residential, low-density neighborhoods or when there is a secondary access path to a building area through a back alley. On these streets, a driver must slow down or pull over to allow more room for another passing vehicle coming from the opposite direction. This concept applies to all streets in a new urbanist project: street width should be adopted strictly according to traffic volume which means, it should not be larger than it is necessary. The fact that the sidewalk it is not separated from the carriageway by bollards, curbs and divider strips of greenery, at most by using different materials, makes the street use much easier also for pedestrians. (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2 Narrow street in a new residential neighborhood

2.3

Scale

Scale is an important design parameter that determines the size and choice of central design elements. Human scale is the scale we must relate in planning an urbanist project, while "pedestrian" is the predominant element. The best example to describe the relation to pedestrian scale is its mode of perception. On a national road for example, a billboard must have the minimum dimensions of 2x3 meters and located at least 2.5 m from ground level in order to be observed by a driver. On a pedestrian route such panel would be annoying for the passing pedestrians, simply because he/she would need a broader perspective to be able to read it. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 3 Visual perception angle, depending on speed

However, pedestrians share the road with bicyclists, transit vehicles, cars, trucks and emergency vehicles. Therefore planners must consider the competing needs of all street users and the impact of each design parameter on the final assembly. (Fig. 4)

Fig. 4 Incorrect placement of a billboard (non-relation to the pedestrian-scale)

2.4

Street Space

A new urbanist project starts from an existing vertical element, such as a building or a fence. Some call this space "place value." If the land is not yet developed, planners need to know with some certainty the scale of the existing and projected buildings, the number of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and the general form of development that must occur on the undeveloped land. If the the scale and the overall development types are known, it is much easier to design considering the needs of the vehicles and non-vehicles users for each new street. (Fig. 5)

Fig. 5 The traffic strategy underlying the trace of the streetscape in a new urban development

2.5

Bicycles

Bicycles are probably the best way to travel and they are on average five times more efficient than walking. Travelling with bicycles should be encouraged in planning new urbanistic projects, whenever weather conditions allow them to be of practical travel use. Urban project designers should be aware that bicycle parking could generate conflicts, therefore bicycle lanes should be carefully designed in order to avoid conflict situations between bicyles and car doors opening simultaneously. (Fig. 6)

Fig. 6 Conflict situation: car parking- bicycle lane

It is also important to note that the velocities associated with new streets do not automatically generate the need for separate bicycle lanes, because bicycles represent a street estimated element. On streets with low traffic volumes bicycles should be considered a normal part of the mix of passengers on the street. Urban project designers have to facilitate the cyclists mobility by using appropriate traffic signs. (Fig. 7)

Fig. 7 Signs and markings

2.6

Street pattern

In conventional networks, traffic begins locally (often cul-de-sac), continues until some street-collectors and then to arterial streets. This type of streets network collects and concentrates the traffic, often leaving few options for car drivers. Non-drivers are also conventionally excluded from large portions of the network, either by regulation or by the constructed environment. Travelling on private streets is today a significant factor that should be taken in account. Likewise should traffic corridors for larger vehicles be placed at the edges of new constructed neighborhoods. One of the urban designings challenges is to achieve a continuous traffic flow without creating "shortcuts" that could encourage an inappropriate behavior of the drivers.

In a new urban network, there are always more ways to connect any two locations. With multiple options, this network makes possible for the drivers to choose between alternative routes, or to select further travel means other than car driving. (Fig. 8)

Fig. 8 Street pattern

2.7

Pedestrian Networks

While a street network is important for the efficiency of roads traffic and networked connections are safe pedestrian routes essential for pedestrians. For these reason all lots and sites are provided with pedestrian connections. New streets usually have sidewalks at least 1.5 m in width on both sides of the street, excepting the streets that serve in low density residential areas. In neighborhoods centers pedestrian network can also be created by additional routes between buildings, but not at the expense of maintaining continuity of the adjacent pedestrian network on the street. (Fig. 9)

Fig. 9 Pedestrian network in a new residential area

2.8

Emergency Vehicles

Emergency vehicles must have access along a new street at every lot and building core, and at every special traffic lane. In Romania is this specific aspect unfortunately not stipulated by the law, the sole regulation referring to this issue predetermining only a mandatory car access road with a minimum width of 3.50 m. (Fig. 10)

Fig. 10 Firefighters and ambulances road access hampered by the lack of special lanes

2.9

Utilities

As in the case of emergency vehicles, but somewhat a bit more simple, is the isssue of utilities location that its as much important and which is usually placed in a new neighborhood across the street under the sidewalks. If air networks and poles are being used, then they should be situated in the rear part of the lots. (Fig. 11)

Fig. 11 Fotographing the municipal urban networks in relation to the street (profile as recommended by the legal norms)

2.10 Eye Contact and Street Safety Beside the social factors, the safest streets include a high grade of eye contact among pedestrians, drivers and cyclists. Urban project designers of new neighborhoods must strive in creating this condition: the moment street users establish eye contact awareness raises and the participants traffic safety increases. (Fig. 12)

Fig. 12 Eye contact increases traffic safety

2.11 Street Trees Trees are probably one of the less used elements in building a street, though placed within a well designed constructed backround, they have an essential role for streets adaptation to the human scale. In addition trees can create a friendly setting along a street and they can improve the environment. Therefore it is absolutely neccesary for the urban planners to design road profiles with a green curtain on both sides of the street whereas a parking lot must be provided with a tree to every 4 parking spaces. (Fig. 13)

Fig. 13 Curtain of trees proposed in a new road network project

2.12 On-Street Parking Most designed streets in a new planned urbanistic project allow parking on the street. Street parking serves to slow moving traffic from the parked vehicle in motion and create a buffer between moving vehicles and pedestrians. Parallel parking is the recommended method for on-street parking. Diagonal parking can be problematic regarding the pedestrian perspective because of violations of sawtooth type with the fronts of parked vehicles that may be situated in the sidewalk zone. (Fig. 14)

Fig. 14 On-street parking

2.13 Design Speed and Minimum Centreline Radii The speed limit recommended by the Romanian police in residential areas is 30 km/ h. Speed limit can be controlled through a number of measures, including the placement of barriers on the carriageway surface, especially near the pedestrian crossings next to schools and kindergartens. In the planning urbanistic projects in Romania, the beam connection between streets considered bases only on the type of proposed functions and the type of cars that will run on those streets. For example the beam connection used between two local streets is min. 6 m. (Fig. 15)

Fig. 15 Curve radius: residential and industrial areas

2.14 Pedestrian Street Crossings [3] The geometric characteristics of the pedestrian street crossing depend on 5 variables: sidewalk width, green space width, carriageway width, skew angle and connection curves radius. In the Romanian norms there are no recommendations for the location of the pedestrian crossing, but there are mathematical relations to be applied. (Foto 16) One of them is the following: (1)

Rmin =

V2 15 ( e + f

(1)

R = centerline radius (ft) V = velocity (mph) = coefficient of friction e = superelevation The width is given in STAS 1848. [4]

Fig. 16 Pedestrian street-crossing in a new neighborhood.

2.15 Lighting Generally, the lighting of the new blocks areas is done with smaller lights compared with the large crowded centres, lightened with intense lighting poles. Thus, according to the general objective of keeping the urban elements at the human scale, is allowing the people to actually see the sky in the night (impossible under large scale lighting systems). Despite the fact that we do not have clear rules for the location of the lighting poles along a new street, the local authorities require in the urban projects to include lighting elements as urban furniture. Design and dimensions remain at the choice of the designer. (Photo 17)

Fig. 17 Street lighting proposed in an urban project

Conclusions

The way that we design and plan the traffic affects the specific behaviour of the carriageway users. The way that these habits affects the traffic safety must be a starting point in urban planning. Traffic engineering and urban design can work together in a new paradigm in order to significantly degrease the number of accidents and to assure a better traffic quality, irrespective of the moving means (pedestrian or auto). The hope of this research is to provide an explanatory and exploratory study of New Urbanism that notes how New Urbanist principles have or have not been incorporated into the three case studies presented. It is hypothesized that New Urbanism may pave the way for recapturing commute time for time with family, creating authentic and successful communities, and engaging with neighbors. Furthermore, by utilizing the design principles of New Urbanism, traditional neighborhoods that re-integrate the activities of daily living may be possible. In short, this research explores whether incorporating the design principles of New Urbanism can create walkable and successful communities that promote community-making with urban patterns that facilitate knowing neighbors, communication among neighbors, community activities, and a long term sense of belonging.

Acknowledgement
Acknowedgement text...

References
[1] Traditional Neighborhood Development Street Design Guidelines, Chellman et al, Institute of Transportation, Engineers Recommended Practice, 1999 publication #RP-027A, October, Washington, D.C. C. RICK CHELLMAN, P.E . Oregon Smart Development Street Design and ITE Traditional Neighborhood Street Design Guidelines, 2000 April, ULI Orlando AASHTO, SUPRA, PGS.151& 188, Traffic Calming Guidelines, Devon County Council,
1991, page 46

[2] [3] [4] [5]

STAS 1848 1:2008 Semnalizare rutiera KING, J., GREEN, S.B. Sustainable housing in Prague. Proceedings of the Central Europe towards Sustainable Building 2007 conference, Prague 2007, BS September 2007, pp.412-419.