Analysis of sidewalks and facades in a stretch of urban beach fringe

Attractiveness to walkability is seen as one of the fundamental factors that contributes to walking on foot in cities. In assessing the quality of the anthropic environment, some methodologies for diagnosing walkability indices take this factor into account. The objective of the research is to analyze the interaction between people, sidewalks and facades in a stretch of urban beachfront, related to factors that attract the daily practice of walking. Taking as a case study the applicability of the walkability index in a beachfront sector in the city of Ilhéus, in the state of Bahia, specifically with regard to its “Attraction” category, and analyze the results obtained compared to other similar studies. In the methodology used in this study, of qualitative and quantitative evaluation, “Attraction” is a category evaluated through four indicators related to facades and uses of urban land. In addition to the walkability analysis, we sought to ascertain the influence that “active facades” and “complete streets” are capable of exercising on the visual interconnection between the activities inside the buildings and the sidewalk segments that confront them, which are fundamental in promoting urban life. Regarding the results obtained, the final calculation showed that the aforementioned category, with regard to pedestrians, proved to be deficient, possibly due to the fact that the interaction between facades and streets is still being planned, prioritizing the circulation of cars, to the detriment of the human scale of pedestrians and active urban mobility.

Street Trees for Bicyclists, Pedestrians, and Vehicle Drivers: A Systematic Multimodal Review

Multimodal Complete Streets have emerged as a prominent aspiration of urban planning to ensure safe access for all users of streets including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users. Concurrently, municipal leaders are pursuing ambitious tree planting initiatives. These co-arising trends are potentially good news, as trees are important elements of livable cities and Complete Streets. Yet, street trees may have different health and safety benefits and disbenefits for various circulation modes. To advance a multimodal approach to research and practice, we undertook a systematic literature review with goals to (1) identify the scholarly literature addressing links between street trees, human health, and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicle drivers; (2) depict the principal disciplines, themes, and conceptual scope of this research; and (3) discuss the implications for urban planning and design practice and research. This review drew upon 13 scholarly databases and yielded 63 relevant articles spanning 15 countries, of which 49 constituted original research. The systematic analysis covers eight research categories. Findings show exponential growth in related scholarship over the past two decades, especially for pedestrians. Journals oriented toward interdisciplinary planning and public health and safety are leading this rise, and benefits far outweigh disbenefits. Yet, there are multimodal tensions especially as it relates to the role of street trees in relationship to drivers and pedestrians. Implications for research and practice are discussed, with an eye towards governance, design, and equity.

Understanding complete streets at the ground level: a look into how a complete street project is defined and influenced within the Greater Golden Horseshoe

The Complete Streets movement has become popular throughout North America as street renewal projects have begun to re-prioritize road users within the public right-of-way (ROW). Although the concepts and overall objectives of a Complete Street are becoming increasingly recognized in the transportation-planning field, a level of ambiguity exists when defining such projects through the existing built infrastructure. This major research paper has collected and presented data gathered from local transportation planning experts through the means of telephone interviews and a focus group, to understand how a Complete Street can be defined at the project level, and what factors might influence this definition. The findings of this paper show that the definition of a Complete Street can be largely dependent on surrounding context, as well as various considerations taken during the Complete Street's planning process.

Understanding complete streets at the ground level: a look into how a complete street project is defined and influenced within the Greater Golden Horseshoe

The Complete Streets movement has become popular throughout North America as street renewal projects have begun to re-prioritize road users within the public right-of-way (ROW). Although the concepts and overall objectives of a Complete Street are becoming increasingly recognized in the transportation-planning field, a level of ambiguity exists when defining such projects through the existing built infrastructure. This major research paper has collected and presented data gathered from local transportation planning experts through the means of telephone interviews and a focus group, to understand how a Complete Street can be defined at the project level, and what factors might influence this definition. The findings of this paper show that the definition of a Complete Street can be largely dependent on surrounding context, as well as various considerations taken during the Complete Street's planning process.

Almost Automating the Planner: Florida Department of Transportation’s Approach to Understanding Places through Context Classification

Context-based thinking is a transportation planning and design approach that aims to create infrastructure that serves diverse places and users. In Florida, context-based design is the approach Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has taken to implement its Statewide Complete Streets policy. FDOT intends to use the context of a roadway to better tailor design and planning solutions for the roadway, thereby putting the “right street in the right place.” To this end, FDOT developed a context classification system and guidance document for project corridors and has since applied the classification effort to the entire state road network. This paper shares a method that two FDOT districts, District One and District Five, used to accomplish their districtwide context classification efforts. The method leverages geographic information systems (GIS) to appropriately segment the road network, analyze connectivity, land use, and density measures, and evaluate the context classification for all state roads within each district. The resulting database is regularly updated using a GIS-based tool and serves as a rich source of information for FDOT and partner agency planners and designers.

Using 3D Rule-Based Modeling to Interactively Visualize “Complete Streets” Design Scenarios

“Complete Streets” has successfully emerged, and is increasingly being adopted around the U.S.A., as a transportation policy and design approach that aims to support the needs of all road users. Requiring complex street design configurations, Complete Streets initiatives can benefit from the power of three-dimensional (3D) visualization to share the design vision with stakeholders and citizens. Traditional modeling techniques present some challenges to respond to such needs because of low modeling efficiency. However, 3D procedural modeling, also known as rule-based modeling, provides exciting opportunities to overcome such challenges. This study investigates 3D rule-based modeling as a scenario-oriented street design tool. It employs a case study approach that utilizes a set of rules designed for Complete Streets and applies rule-based modeling to visually compare design scenarios using a study area in Florida. Findings show that the rule-based modeling approach is proven to effectively visualize scenario-oriented street designs. Its ability to modify design parameters easily and generate scenarios rapidly, enables effective visual comparison of alternatives. Its ability to be customized and extended makes it applicable to thousands of communities around the country that are looking to implement Complete Streets designs. Finally, with the ability to support 3D web-based visualization and virtual reality, the rule-based approach can serve as an effective integrated collaboration platform. The Complete Streets rules are available and can be utilized by practitioners immediately. For researchers, the rule-based street modeling approach adds another tool in their methodological toolbox that can help bridge modeling and visualization with Complete Streets research.

Driving change: Exploring the adoption of multimodal local traffic impact assessment practices

Local governments in the US face growing public demands to reduce automobile dependence in order to forestall climate change, improve road safety, rein in sprawling peripheral land development, increase transportation equity, and enhance urban livability. As a result, many city and county leaders are looking for ways to provide alternatives to driving through the creation of more multimodal-supportive transportation systems and land use patterns. The academic literature has identified conventional traffic impact- assessment (TIA) practices—designed to ensure new developments do not increase automobile traffic congestion—as a barrier to supporting these multimodal efforts. Because of the growing emphasis on multimodality in many national, state, and regional policies and initiatives (e.g., Complete Streets, Vision Zero), we investigate whether and how communities were adapting TIA practices to better accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and other non-car travel modes in the land development process.