Vehicles in the Public Realm

Public Realm

Minimize the Impact of Vehicles on the Public Realm

INTENT

Public realm design should focus on people rather than cars and vehicular access. Projects should strive to keep conflicts between motorists and people walking and biking to a minimum, and support active and inviting streets by reducing the visual impact service areas, parking, and vehicular access.

Guidelines

a. Encourage non-polluting transportation options, such as shared vehicle access and parking in multiple ownership circumstances.

b. Minimize the size and number of curb cuts and locate curb cuts away from active pedestrian areas wherever possible.

c. Screen service uses and parking when near public space using ground floor uses and/or landscaping.

d. Reduce conflicts between pedestrians and motorists through design elements such as planters, paving patterns, or lighting.

e. Create clearly defined pedestrian paths through parking areas with sidewalks or other dedicated facilities.

This street treatment in Langley, WA makes good use of material and textural cues, and uses on-street parking and loading instead of curb cut access to reduce conflicts.

Pedestrian access for Whidbey Telecom uses variation in materials, landscaping, screening and physical barriers to create a safe pedestrian environment within a parking lot.

P5 Block & Frontage Patterns

P6 Commerical Streets