VEHICLES & STREET DESIGN NATASHA HARKISON
LA 463 Senior Seminar | Fall 2012 | Professor Jerry Taylor | 11.5.2012
INTRODUCTION The topic of this book, vehicles & street design, was selected based on my interest in studying abroad in Italy. As a landscape architecture student, issues of transportation and street design are always part of the design process, and I always had an interest to further explore the various ways in which streets are used. I chose the topic with interest in exploring the way people are given access as pedestrians versus the ways in which automobiles and other forms of public transportation have access. Typically, in California, we see a majority ruling for cars and automobiles over pedestrian traffic at most intersections. Since I was already aware of the basic conditions of street etiquette and design in Europe (in general), I stayed curious to really understand how the street/road is used. The term ‘vehicle’ is used quite broadly in this booklet. I thought of the term vehicle as a means of transportation, not just an automobile that uses fuel to be driven around. There are several types of ‘vehicles’ that were explored and taken into consideration when putting together this booklet regarding vehicles and street design. The term ‘street design’ is used rather precisely in the booklet. One of the main concepts explored during my time in Italy was the relationship between a person and the street. The ways in which a street is designed can immaculately change the way a pedestrian uses it, and I found great interest in looking further into this concept. This booklet contains a collection of images from various cities that I had the pleasure of visiting throughout my time in Europe and most importantly, Italy. Each city is vastly unique in terms of street design, which made the entire experience very interesting. Most cities visited were through class field trips, although several of them were explored through personal weekend trips with a few classmates.
11.9.12
Castiglion Fiorentino is the small hilltop town that I considered home for three months. It is a quaint little town where the streets are all cobble stone and authentic. As the very first town I walked through while in Italy, I found the streets within the town centre to be very narrow yet fascinating. At first thought, I was amazed by the size of vehicles that were parked around the town, although it seemed to be a common occurrence throughout Italy. Street signs with certain restrictions were commonly found around Castiglion Fiorentino. As the city is walled in and the central shopping area runs through the main street of the town, these street signs proved to be very important. Another interesting aspect of the street design in Castiglion Fiorentino was the traffic lights, as there was only one light. Traffic lights are not common in these small hilltop towns, however stop signs and speed bumps with patterned colors were popular.
1 | CASTIGLION FIORENTINO
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One of many street signs that were located throughout the walled in city. These signs designated hours for drivers to use the roads or areas in which vehicles could be parked.
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11.7.12
The main road in Castiglion Fiorentino which ended at the walled in city foundations at the top of the hill. This road is the main means of transportation in and out of Castiglion Fiorentino.
3 | CASTIGLION FIORENTINO
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This was one of a few scenic parking lots in Castiglion Fiorentino. As seen in the photo, parking is not designated with striping for each vehicle, also it seems that tradition allows people their individual space.
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10.17.12
V E N I C E is perhaps one of the only places in the world where the most relevant vehicles are boats and gondolas. Since the city is separated into hundreds of islands, cars are not the most important means of transportation. The streets of Venice are considered as all of the canals full of lagoon water in which transportation is based off of.
5 | VENICE
10.19.12
As shown in both photos, water taxis are used as transportation for both the locals and visitors. There are public and private taxis which sail the waters daily. This type of street design is unique in that this condition is only specific to Venice. While there, the experience was unique, as boats are basically considered cars.
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10.15.12
Gondolas are a main attraction throughout Venice. Although they are mainly used for tourism, they are extremely versatile and simple to operate. This was an interesting type of vehicle in Venice due to the popularity and business aspect of a gondola. Gondolas are a great way to view the entire city.
7 | VENICE
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A gondoleer gives a tour to a group of visitors. Canals act as streets and are regulated by boat traffic.
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08.29.12
Streets in Paris are used mostly by vehicles such as cars, bikes, motorcycles. Since it is a fast paced city center, I found most local people to be on the go. It is highly populated, and life moves very quickly. Relating to street design, bicycles and motorcycles have a major influence on the way streets are planned. Motorcycles can be seen stacked on the sides of streets, and ironically, motorcycles are not generally found to be locked. This relationship between vehicle and street is also unique.
9 | PARIS
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In Paris, bicycles can be hired from station to station since there are well developed bike sharing systems throughout Europe. With this system in place, streets are more bicycle friendly and lanes are specifically designated for bicycles.
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09.06.12
Bologna is one of the college towns in Italy where a majority of the city center population is college students, hence the popularity of bicycles. While visiting Bologna, I noticed bicycles in random places throughout the city.
11 | BOLOGNA
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13 | ROME
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The street design in Rome is mostly laid out in cobble stone paving with wide roads to accommodate the congestion of the city. It is one of the busiest cities throughout Italy, and traffic can be a problem at the beginning and end of the day. As a historical city, many people commute and work in Rome, therefore the traffic congestion levels can be intense. Various types of vehicles are used for transportation in and around Rome. Cars, busses, the Rome metro system, and foot/bicycle transportation are all common forms.
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Taxis lined up in one of the largest political piazzas in Rome.
15 | ROME
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Examples of car parking stall designation found in an alley in the shopping district. It is common in Europe for cars to be inter-parked with other types of vehicles without any strict code of conduct.
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This image presents an excellent example of the various types of vehicles that are used for transportation around the city. Here we can see the busy qualities of Rome given the amounts of traffic and misconduct on the street. With people walking through motorcycles and cars, we are able to see the amount of traffic that engulfs the city.
17 | ROME
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19 | BARCELONA
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The street design in Barcelona focuses on bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Many streets are laid out so that bicycles are the main mode of transportation and sidewalks are designed to be much wider than the average. Vehicle lanes are usually located on the outermost part of the road and are given less lanes than the normal. Although cars are a main use of transportation throughout Barcelona, there is a sense of hierarchy between vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic. There are many roundabouts located throughout the city centre, as they help push circulation through many of the main intersections. I have found this roundabout street design to be common throughout Europe, and it is a successful street planning.
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21 | LONDON
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London relies heavily on the car, although the tube and bicycle systems are very successful. Bicycles can be hired at various locations throughout the city and are very convenient to purchase as well. London has been well known for its tube system, as stops occur very frequently. The tube system has been in existence for many decades and continues to be a popular means of transportation. The street design in London is fit mostly for cars. The city centre covers a large amount of space, and London is very busy. Upon visiting, the traffic and street layout was pleasant, as it felt like the United States in some aspects. The only difference is that the English drive on the opposite side of the road. The street layout became interesting due to the switched positions of cars on the road.
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23 | PERUGIA
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Perugia was interesting to look at street design-wise, as there are countless walls of street art which add to the uniqueness of the city. As roundabouts and complicated cross sections are a common form of traffic division, Perugia had a very unique type of roundabout. Also, as it is customary throughout Italy, vehicles sped around corners of streets rather fast.
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10.11.12
Cinque Terre is very unique in terms of street design as all five towns are located on the cliffside of the north eastern Italian coast. The most major type of vehicle is the regional train, which runs through all five towns frequently. Upon visiting, I found it very interesting that the towns were all very small. The simple fact that cars are rarely used in Cinque Terre was very unique also. Cars were not completely irrelevant in Cinque Terre, however most people walk wherever their destination may be, and each town can be reached on foot. The culture in Cinque Terre is significant because the use of cars is rare, I truly believe it is a defining factor as to why the city is so interesting. The simple fact that the railway lines are used as streets is, in itself, an interesting and unique aspect of Italian culture. The train system is commonly used throughout the country, and Cinque Terre being on the coast brings a new culture or passing by the coast on a train, it definitely is a remarkable experience.
25 | CINQUE TERRE
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27 | NAPLES
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All cobble stone, rugged, and very fast paced, Naples is one of the craziest places to drive or operate any type of vehicle in all of Italy. Naples is one of the busiest cities along with Rome, and the vehicles definitely own the road, according to my own experiences. The images I chose for Naples reflect the speed and blurriness that one encounters while walking around the city. A person is constantly dodging cars, busses, bicycles, and people to get from one place to the next. Street design is quite simple in Naples, although the drivers and locals are sure to make the cobble stoned roads their own.
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10.04.12
Arezzo had the most logical ways of distributing street design in a manner that could accommodate several types of vehicles. Parking signs were common around the city and it seemed as if there was a code of conduct for how streets were to be used. I found this very interesting about Arezzo, although it appeared to be a more civilized town with more restrictions than other hilltop towns.
29 | AREZZO
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In the suburban areas of Arezzo, streets are designed to be simple. I found this to be one of the only areas in Italy where the streets are interpreted as American suburban streets. It was a reminder of what our street design looks like. This was interesting to discover, as the road is fully paved, and cars are able to park on the side of the road comfortably.
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Motorcycles can be seen lined up in this formation along the side of a main road in Arezzo. Although parking space designation is not a forte for Italian street design, specific linework laid out of the street is an important part of street design.
31 | AREZZO
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Cars parked in a residential area in Arezzo, given the blue parking line and white dashed line. These help to designate parking areas along the sides of narrow roads.
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09.07.12
In the hilltop town of Cortona, it appeared difficult to park cars within the vastly narrow streets. Specific areas in Cortona have allotted parking stalls in between trees, which minimizes the amount of space needed for individual vehicle parking. This type of parking situation is common throughout Italy, although I first saw this type of parking set up in Cortona.
33 | CORTONA
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Similar examples of a typical parking situation in Cortona. Cars have been sandwiched between trees, as if the trees were designed to be planted in that specific width apart from one another.
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CONCLUSION During my time spent traveling through Italy, I learned countless amounts of knowledge regarding topics I never thought I would be interested in. With vehicles and street design as my topic for this assignment, I have learned not only about the fundamentals and street life in Italy, but I also learned several life lessons for myself to keep in mind while living back in California. From a design perspective, street design and the way a vehicle is operated in Italy is different than any perspective used in America, to say the least. One of the principles I gave myself to investigate on this trip was the way in which a person orients themselves on any Italian street, whether it be a main road, alley, residential street, pedestrian path, waterway, etc. In my opinion, public spaces in Italy and throughout Europe are mostly popular for a few reasons. First, the way in which a person can orient themselves within and through the space is successful, therefore people are likely to stay in the space longer. I have experienced some amazing public space piazzas during my trips in Italy, and I found it to relate well with street design and vehicles. Since public spaces are highly commended in Europe and people are able to openly enjoy their time, I found that the way of life and the operation of a vehicle serves a different purpose (other than simply getting from one place to the next). I believe that my experiences in Italy have helped me grow as a student, traveler, and a designer. By studying several towns and major cities throughout Europe, I feel that i have gained the first hand experience of walking through European style streets. Given this experience also, I have learned what the vehicle is used for in terms of transportation, and its meaning is largely different than the American way. Although the drivers are crazier than what I have been brought up with, I found that people enjoy life the European way, and that is something I admired most about my time in Italy. Besides learning simply about street design etiquette and details of vehicular transportation, this experience taught me how we, as people, can closely relate ourselves to the design of the streets we live on. 35
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