Written By:
Streetscapes: Key to community change
Landscape architects and urban planners help create walkable streets that balance the needs of walkers, cyclists, and drivers. These improved streetscapes protect travelers, enhance communities, and drive economic development.
Fayetteville Street in Raleigh is a primary example. For 30 years, the street was closed to motor vehicles. The downtown thoroughfare acted as a pedestrian mall until 2006, when it reopened to vehicle traffic amidst much celebration. Both eras reflect the idea that downtown areas exist in a binary: they either allow or prohibit cars.
Downtown areas are evolving into a place where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists can coexist. Streetscapes are a key part of this change.
Four concerns that streetscapes address:
A well-designed streetscape addresses four major concerns:
- Safety
- Aesthetics
- Cultural identity
- Critical infrastructure
Thinking carefully about where and how these elements intersect in a specific project opens pathways for maximizing their benefits.
Safety
A streetscape designed for safety provides everyone the ability to see and navigate their surroundings. A savvy design accomplishes the following:
- Avoids blind corners and accidental hiding places
- Provides adequate lighting
- Uses signage to clearly direct visitors
Designated bicycle lanes and landscape buffers between road traffic and sidewalks can also increase safety.
In the Town of Burgaw, WithersRavenel proposed a shared street concept. Sidewalks and vehicle travel lanes would be at the same elevation. Special paving, street trees, and planters along Courthouse Avenue create a safe place for motorists, pedestrians, and other visitors. The plantings provide shade to reduce heat island effects. The porous paving reduces stormwater loads on existing infrastructure. These stormwater benefits are also on display at the Greensboro Downtown Greenway, part of a sustainable stormwater system.
Aesthetics
Aesthetic considerations include getting to know the local history, ordinances around sign styles and building facades, and context-sensitive choices for construction materials. When making recommendations, WithersRavenel considers such factors as expected traffic volumes, operations and maintenance capabilities, the availability of local materials, and community branding.
For the Town of Four Oaks Downtown Streetscape Master Plan, our planners suggested moving curb lines. This would expand sidewalk space. They also suggested matching paver types for sidewalks and crosswalks. Street trees were proposed to help with shade and screen overhead electric lines. An oak leaf motif was also incorporated into the main intersection, a common example of the overlap between aesthetics and cultural identity.
Cultural identity
Cultural identity encompasses the past, present, and future through storytelling and public art. Uncovering and reflecting a community’s identity is a team effort. It starts with talking to residents and local stakeholders. This helps capture their stories and highlight their unique perspectives. It also includes researching historical texts, maps, and photographs.
Armed with this historical information, we consult the community. We also use precedent images. This helps us learn what they prefer when showcasing their identity. The results are woven into the streetscape design via murals, sculptures, and interpretive signage, as well as figural or abstract imagery used on benches, trash cans, retaining walls, and light poles.
In Whiteville, the historical identity of the downtown area has been one of railroad activity and small business success stories,” noted Sean Martin, former Economic Development Planner at the City of Whiteville and current Town Administrator of the Town of White Lake. “Through the streetscape project, downtown Whiteville is able to highlight the historical cultural identity of the area while providing improvements to the area to recreate the downtown square once observed as Vineland Station.”
Critical infrastructure
Finally, streetscapes incorporate critical infrastructure, which offer opportunities for sustainable design. Stormwater control measures, for instance, may incorporate green infrastructure principles. Because half of downtown Whiteville is in a floodplain, WithersRavenel proposed streetscape infrastructure to help alleviate recurring flooding. Other sustainable solutions include solar-powered lighting, reclaimed materials, cool roofs, and cool pavements. They also include features for public transit and cyclists.
Harmonizing safety, aesthetics, cultural identity, and critical infrastructure make streetscapes that feel safe and welcoming to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. They encourage visitors to park farther away or ditch their cars entirely and explore downtown on foot. This leads to more traffic at shops, restaurants, and galleries. For this reason, streetscapes are excellent economic drivers.
Mr. Martin agrees: “An enjoyable walk downtown invites the public to shop local, observe the natural beauty of the area, and make a new friend or catch up with a neighbor. The economic impact of the [Whiteville] streetscape plan is evident as the revitalization continues in the downtown area through the addition, retention, and expansion of small business and mixed-use residential projects.”
Because streetscapes combine form and function and depend on stakeholder involvement, they can help support less exciting projects. One example is utility replacements. It can be challenging to secure community buy-in for replacing aging water or sewer lines on a busy street. It is much easier to include a utility replacement or upgrade in a streetscape project. In that project, the same road work will create an attractive downtown promenade.
The biggest hurdle to creating streetscapes is often the large price tag. This is often solved by planning a streetscape project in phases, completed over several years as funding becomes available. Fortunately, this puts municipalities in a position to partner with agencies like NCDOT. It also allows partnerships with funding sources such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and North Carolina Department of Commerce.
How to start on your next streetscape project
WithersRavenel has planners, landscape architects, and funding specialists to take your pedestrian-friendly streetscapes from concepts to concrete. By working with municipalities, citizens, and other stakeholders, they create urban environments that balance built and natural areas. They also help businesses and communities grow.
For questions, contact:
- Landscape Architecture – Kurt Pfeifer at (919) 535-5144 or kpfeifer@withersravenel.com
- Funding – Amanda Whitaker at awhitaker@withersravenel.com