Complete Streets & Urban Greening A portable guide to understanding beautiful, safe and environmentally-friendly streets.
Complete Streets & Urban Greening A portable guide to understanding beautiful, safe and environmentally-friendly streets. April 2016
KTU+A Planning + Landscape Architecture 3916 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 294-4477 ktua.com
Pedestrian Elements Pedestrian elements and facilities provide people safe and comfortable spaces for people to use throughout a street network.
Curb extensions are used to slow down traffic and increase the visibility and safety of pedestrians. They also reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians.
Curb Extension
Mid-block crossings provide a safe location to cross streets that have significant pedestrian activity such as schools and bus stops.
Mid-block Crossing
RRFBs are commonly installed at unsignalized intersections or midblock crossings to increase pedestrian visibility and safety through signage and flashing lights.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon
PHBs are pedestrianactivated warning devices commonly installed at mid-block crossings. The flashing light patterns alert drivers when to stop for pedestrians.
Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon
Pedestrian scrambles are used at intersections with heavy pedestrian traffic. They stop the flow of vehicular traffic to allow pedestrians to cross the intersection in every direction.
Pedestrian Scramble
Bicycle Elements Bicycle elements and facilities provide bicyclists safe and comfortable spaces to use throughout a street network.
Bicycle routes are shared roadways that are indicated through signage. Shared lane markings (“sharrows�) are commonly used to provide cyclists higher visibility.
Bicycle Route
Bicycle lanes are dedicated on-street spaces for bicyclists. They are delineated through striping, pavement markings and signage.
Bicycle Lane
Cycle tracks are protected bicycle lanes that are dedicated for bicyclists. They are delineated through physical barriers, pavement markings and signage.
Cycle Track
Multi-use paths are dedicated spaces for bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized users. They are separated from vehicular traffic and often found in parks and other linear corridors.
Multi-Use Path
Bicycle boulevards are low-volume, lowspeed streets modified to enhance bicyclist comfort through treatments such as signage and traffic calming elements.
Bicycle Boulevard
Bike boxes are designated areas located in front of a traffic lane at signalized intersections that provide bicyclists a safe and visible space to get in front of queuing motorized traffic.
Bicycle Box
Bicycle pavement markings through traffic conflict areas indicate and alert the intended path of travel for bicyclists and drivers.
Conflict Area Striping
Urban Elements Urban elements enhance a person’s experience positively as they travel throughout a corridor. These often are the unique elements that make walking and bicycling inviting.
Street furniture is great for streets and corridors with heavy pedestrian traffic.
Street Furniture
Transit shelters with overhead protection against weather and seating are essential for encouraging people to take public transit.
Transit Shelters
Pedestrian-scale lighting provides many practical and safety benefits. Lighting can also be designed to be fun, artistic and interactive.
Pedestrian Lighting
Wayfinding signage helps pedestrians and bicyclists navigate to their destinations. Signage can also be designed to be fun, artistic and interactive.
Wayfinding Signage
Public art is essential to successful placemaking. They may serve as landmarks and provide people with fun interactive elements.
Public Art
Gateways identify unique areas within a region. They welcome people into the area and often reflect the character or personality of the culture.
Gateways
Parklets are small open spaces that are designed in place of one or two parking stalls. They provide fun seating and interactive elements for people to enjoy.
Parklets
Intersection murals are unique artistic traffic calming features that can be implemented on small residential streets.
Intersection Murals
Crosswalk art can be designed in many different ways to create a fun and interactive element at an intersection.
Crosswalk Art
Green Infrastructure Green infrastructure treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. These multi-purpose spaces provide cleaner air and water, wildlife habitat and flood control.
Permeable pavers are attractive and utilitarian alternatives to concrete sidewalks. They slow down water and allow it to percolate into the ground
Permeable Pavers
Bioswales are linear landscape elements that capture, slow down and clean water before it infiltrates into the ground.
Bioswales
Rain gardens capture and clean water, allowing it to slowly infiltrate into the ground. They are often integrated with curb extensions or found in parks
Rain Gardens
Street trees are essential to having a comfortable walking environment and healthy urban ecosystem. They provide shade, habitat, slow down water and clean our air.
Urban Tree Canopy
Curb openings allow stormwater runoff to enter rain gardens and bioswales instead of draining directly into a sewer.
Curb Openings