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Logistics
Lecture Room: ITE 336
Time: 5:00 to 7:30 pm, Thursday
The Art of Street Design
Streets are the foundation upon which we build cities, towns and villages.
The design of the streets determines whether or not we have a walkable community or if we must drive to meet our daily needs.
Street design also affects traffic safety, the economic vitality of businesses, the livability and attractiveness of our shopping districts as well as our residential neighborhoods and the environmental footprint of our transportation system.
Course Foundation
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.
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.
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 beautiful and safe streets.
Learning Objects
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Learn and understand the impact of street design on society
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Learn about the impact of design on speed and the importance of speed to safety and the function of streets
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Learn and understand the different types of thoroughfares and the importance of the classification system
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Learn how streets are designed to accomodate various types of users including pedestrians and bicyclists
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Learn the foundation of street network design
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Learn to apply the elements of street design through a semester long design project
Assignments
Design Project
The final report for the group should be no more that 12 typewritten pages (double spaced), inclusive of figures and tables.
Exams
There will be two (2) exams.
The exams will be based on class lectures
Term Paper (CE 5720 only)
Students in the graduate section will be required to write a term paper of no more that 12 typewritten pages (double spaced) in a subject of their own chosing related to street design.
Grade Assessment
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