Exit133.com: Blurring the Sidewalk / Street Division

Blurring the Sidewalk / Street Division (10. December 2006, 22:55 by Derek Young) ~ Pedestrian Friendly?

Here’s something for that urban planning file in your head. The most recent edition of Seed Magazine includes an article on Portland’s attempt to blur the line between the sidewalks and streets. The effect is another version of traffic calming that sounds intriguing.

...There are no white lane dividers or sidewalks. Instead, rough-hewn granite columns distinguish places for pedestrians and places for cars.

“The idea of this street is that it’s designed like a public square but it’s open to traffic,” said Ellen Vanderslice, a project manager for the Portland Department of Transportation. “We were very consciously trying to create a body language of the street that tells people something different is going on here.”

I like the idea of changing behavior through psychology instead of walls, obstacles, and flashing lights. Could something like this work in Tacoma? If so, where?

Link to Seed Magazine

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I have read that raising sidewalks above the level of the road, even just by a foot or two, helps make a neighborhood feel more pedestrial friendly because it elevates our view over cars.

We get better views of everything and psychologically being above the cars is helpful, too, I guess.

I don’t remember where I read this, so I can’t cite it. But from the few times where I have walked on a sidewalk that is higher I can say that it feels true.

1 | Posted by Erik Hanberg | Dec 10, 11:29 PM

Gee, they could try something like this instead of building that WSHM donor wall!

2 | Posted by KevinFreitas | Dec 11, 12:39 PM

keep your eye on the prize.

3 | Posted by RR Anderson | Dec 11, 02:17 PM

This seems like a smart way to go. The City of Tacoma should look into this… might be better than spending a million dollars on speed bumps and roundabouts…

4 | Posted by morgan | Dec 11, 10:39 PM

‘a million dollars on speed bumps and roundabouts…’ How about a BRAZILLION dollars on raising the sidewalks (or lowering the streets)?? Blurring the line makes sense, but so does light rail that encourages parking out of the city and riding in.

5 | Posted by Les | Dec 12, 09:16 AM

Blurring the line makes sense, but so does light rail that encourages parking out of the city and riding in.

Interestingly, the Seattle City Council just modified the rules so that new and existing businesses in several neighborhood business districts will no longer be required to supply off-street parking, in conjunction with new rules for increased greenery in these districts, with the assumption that these areas area already served by transit. Hopefully such tactics help people to change their mindsets about using transit, rather than reducing business in these areas.

See the Seattle Times article for more info.

6 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Dec 12, 09:50 AM

I like Pacific Grill’s approach of offering valet parking. That should be a permit option in waiving parking requirements.

7 | Posted by Les | Dec 12, 01:19 PM

Here’s the best part of the article:

Developers and business owners in those areas could still offer parking if they want, but the city will no longer dictate the number of spaces. The city last year eliminated commercial parking requirements downtown.

Given Tacoma’s extra capacity for parking downtown, reducing the parking requiements for new buildings would certainly be one policy change that would help increase density.