04 - Movement Systems

Streets

also known as public rights-of-way (Bain et al., 2012), are major urban spaces and the main artery of circulation where people moves and that which connects them with the built environment.

Streets

can be considered as a network of spaces with a mix of uses and users, with spatial qualities and unique contexts.

Sidewalks and Pathways

the “connective tissues” of the public realm

Travel Lanes

known as the ‘carriage way’ or where vehicles pass.

This may vary according to the typology of the road (avenue, boulevard, alley, etc.) which have specific width requirements.

Materials

must stand up to heavy use and continue to look good and function well over time.

Intersections

must balance the needs of the vehicle and pedestrian movements, these are critical points and it make sense to favor the needs of the pedestriansby providing safe crosswalks.

Signages

created to make streets more accessible and safer for users, both drivers and pedestrians

Street furniture

include benches, kiosks, planters, pedestrian-scale lighting and other elements that make people comfortable and safe in a place

Street trees and Landscaping

Adding greenery to urban spaces helps to clean the air, filter water and creates humane and pleasant places.

Curbs

separate cars and pedestrians

Gutters

channel water into drainage systems 

Geometric Street Patterns

Linear or Street Ribbon:  A straight road used to connect one community to another.  Crossings are few and far between; also used where terrain is flat.

Gridiron Street Pattern

Site is divided into square or rectangular blocks.

Radial

Use of circumferential and radial roads to connect the center of the city to the outskirts in a ripple manner.

Meandering

Used in highly mountainous sites; where terrain is rolling, following the contours of the topography.

Combination

Using both the geometric and meandering street patterns. 

Modified Grids

Advantage:  Ability to layout streets in an easy and direct manner as well as the easy installation of services following the grids of the streets.

Loops Grid

Good opportunities exist for varied and interesting house groups on lots flanking looped streets.

Disadvantage:  Narrowness of certain lot frontages esp. along the curvature of the loop.

Cul-de-sac

Shaped so that the fronting houses automatically create an enclosed space.

• Should not be longer than 500m

• A long version is considered a straight street with a turnaround

• Utilizes an odd parcel of land to full advantage

Capacity

refers to the no. of vehicles that can move safely through a segment within a given time.  

• eg. no. of lanes and their widths, curb radius

Character

refers to its suitability for pedestrian activities and a variety of bldg. types

• associated bldg.s, frontage and landscape, types and sidewalk width.

Highway

A long-distance, medium speed vehicular corridor that traverses open country.

Boulevard

• A long-distance, medium speed vehicular corridor that traverses an urbanized area. 

 It is usually lined by parallel parking, wide sidewalks, or side medians planted with trees.  Buildings uniformly line the edges.

Avenue

A short-distance, medium speed connector that traverses an urban area.  Unlike a boulevard, its axis is terminated by a civic building or monument.

Drive

• An edge between an urban and a natural condition, usually along a waterfront, park or promontory. 

 

• One side of the ___ has the urban character of a boulevard, with sidewalk and buildings, while the other has the qualities of a parkway, with naturalistic planting and rural detailing.

Street

• A small-scale, low speed local connector.  ____ provide frontage for high-density buildings such as offices, shops, apartment buildings and rowhouses.

• A ____ is urban in character, with raised curbs, closed drainage, wide sidewalks, parallel parking, trees in individual planting areas, and bldgs. aligned on short setbacks.

Road

• A small-scale, low speed connector. They provide frontage for low-density bldgs. such as houses.  

• It tends to be rural in character with open curbs, optional parking, continuous planting, narrow sidewalks, and bldgs. Set well back.

• The rural road has no curbs and is lined by pathways, irregular tree planting, and uncoordinated bldg. setbacks.

Alleys

• A narrow access route servicing the rear of the buildings on a street. They have no sidewalks, landscaping, or building setbacks.  

• It is used by trucks and must accommodate dumpsters.

• They are usually paved to their edges, with center drainage via an inverted crown.

Lane

• A narrow access route behind houses on a road.  Lanes are rural in character with a narrow strip of paving at the center or no paving.  

• While they may not be necessary with front-loaded garages, they are still useful for accommodating utility runs, enhancing the privacy of rear yards and providing play areas for children.

Passage

• A very narrow, pedestrian-only connector cutting between buildings.  

• It provides shortcuts through long blocks or connect rear parking areas with street frontages.  

• It may be roofed over and lined by shopfronts.

Paths

• A very narrow pedestrian and bicycle connector traversing a park or the open country.  

• It should emerge from the sidewalk networks.

Asian Streets

Edensor (1998) argues specifically that the social ordering or regulation of Western streets is culturally specific and not easily transferable to non-Western contexts.

“Inside Out”

Families and individuals make use of so-called public spaces for private activities to an extent in ways that render that public space notionally private

Outside-in

The state’s interventions in so-called “private” space