Course Foundation

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Over the last decade attitudes towards the design of streets in the US have undergone a dramatic shift.  Places all over the country have radically revised their approach, focusing less on vehicle movement and more on the economic and social functioning of their streets. Attempts to develop more inclusive design come in many guises, under such names as traffic calming, complete streets, road diets, and shared space. 

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In this class we will look at the theory underlying these state-of-the-art practices and develop a holistic approach for design streets that are safer, more efficient and that support community vibrancy and vitality.  

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In addition to looking at the design of individual streets we will also focus on the art and science of designing street networks.  American designers have a proud history of designing street networks that created the template for the building of great cities.  But these days the skills needed to design street networks are no longer part of the typical repertoire of engineers and planners in America. Fortunately, with the advent of the New Urbanist movement and its interest in building complete communities, the importance of street networks is once again being recognized.   

One goal of in this class is to help resurrect this American tradition of excellent in street network design and to pair it with the tools and knowledge needed to design functional, safe and beautiful streets.