1 of 94

Question of the day

True or false. In streetcar city areas per capita production of greenhouse gases is lower than in lower density auto oriented sprawl.

2 of 94

Question of the day

True or false. In streetcar city areas per capita production of greenhouse gases is lower than in lower density auto oriented sprawl.

True.

3 of 94

A word about maps.

4 of 94

5 of 94

6 of 94

7 of 94

8 of 94

9 of 94

10 of 94

11 of 94

12 of 94

About 6 minutes faster than a tram.

For 10 times more per km Over 5.5 billion extra. 500 million per km

13 of 94

What 8 billion will buy in tram. $50 million per km

14 of 94

http://www.urbanstudio.sala.ubc.ca/2010/111125_chapter5.pdf

More like the city that actually exists

15 of 94

More like a “Flat City”. Copenhagen - Less than 40% trips by car.

16 of 94

More like a “Flat City”. Copenhagen - Less than 40% trips by car.

17 of 94

18 of 94

19 of 94

Bike lanes and pedestrian improvements are necessary but alone ineffective

20 of 94

Los Angeles walking biking transit share: 15%

A very pointy city

21 of 94

But this one.

Copenhagen walking biking transit share:

72%

A Flat City.

22 of 94

Amsterdam: walking biking transit share:

72%

23 of 94

Berlin: walking biking transit share:

70%

A Flat City

24 of 94

Zurich:

66% bike walk transit share.

A Flat City

25 of 94

What kind of city could possibly produce those results?

Toronto. Walkability map. A Flat City becoming “pointy”

26 of 94

What kind of city could possibly produce those results?

The Flat original Streetcar City.

27 of 94

Toronto walk-ability map and historic streetcar district

28 of 94

GHG per capita measurements (left) and “walkscore” (right) closely matched.

GHG from Center for Neighbourhood Technology. Walkscore from walkscore.com

29 of 94

Brooklyn in 1930. Streetcar Network.

30 of 94

The “sweet spot” for walkability is 100 people per hectare (townhouse density).

Above that only marginal benefit.

31 of 94

32 of 94

.

33 of 94

Walkability map (left) closely correlates with transit use map (right) in Vancouver

34 of 94

END

35 of 94

Restore the streetcar city

What to remember:

  • “FLAT” cities with even density and tightly packed mixed land uses perform best on both transportation and building energy use.
  • Transit alone is not the answer.
  • Biking alone is not the answer.
  • Walking alone is not the answer
  • The city pattern itself needs to facilitate the combination of walking, biking, and transit as a system integrated with building density and use in a pattern.
  • The city pattern of what I am calling the “streetcar city pattern” does this.

36 of 94

Rule 2. Design an Interconnected Street System

Traditional city form.

High connectivity

All trips short for all vehicles

Many alternative routes if congested

Only two types of streets. Residential streets and streetcar arterials.

37 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Intersection density much higher in traditional

Dendritic or tree like vs network or grid or web like.

Dendritic has quiet streets ends and less road.

No alternative routs and highly loaded main intersections

38 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Schools typically located in center of half mile square

Walk to school very circuitous and students from adjacent quarter sections have difficult time crossing.

39 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Surrey schools typically located in center of half mile square

Walk to school very circuitous and students from adjacent quarter sections have difficult time crossing.

40 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Surrey schools typically located in center of half mile square

Walk to school very circuitous and students from adjacent quarter sections have difficult time crossing.

41 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Gated community

Only possible in dendritic network.

Attached in one location to the arterial, thus the gate.

42 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Typical design intended to maximize number of homes on cul des sacs.

Cheaper houses on through streets.

Designed to frustrate through trips.

43 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Intersections impossible to cross on foot.

Big Box magnets

400% more traffic through intersection.

60% more pedestrian fatalities.

44 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

US and Candian cities identical during streetcar city period.

Vancouver and Seattle

Grid is most common form of interconnected street system. 640 x 320 feet.

.

Vancouver

Seattle

45 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The radial interconnected network.

Washington DC. Intersecting radials overlaid on a traditional grid.

Traffic movement potentially more direct but intersections complex.

46 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The informal web.

Cambridge Massachusetts.

Main arterials form direct lines from one “square” to another.

Spaces in between ar informal grid of more or less traditional blocks.

47 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Inman Square

Cambridge Massachusetts.

48 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Inman Square

Cambridge Massachusetts.

49 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Inman Square

Cambridge Massachusetts.

50 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The warped grid.

Riverside, Illinois.

Operates as a grid like network but “naturalized”

Can work with topography and natural drainage.

First designed by F. L. Olmsted in 1870.

51 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The warped grid.

Riverside, Illinois.

Operates as a grid like network but “naturalized”

Can work with topography and natural drainage.

First designed by F. L. Olmsted in 1870.

52 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The warped grid.

Riverside, Illinois.

Operates as a grid like network but “naturalized”

Can work with topography and natural drainage.

Bizarre intersections

53 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The warped grid.

Vancouver Example: Shaughnesssy District.

54 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The warped grid.

Vancouver Example: Shaughnesssy District.

55 of 94

WHAT TO REMEMBER

  • Blocks and Superblocks.
  • The problem of discontinuity
  • The rectilinear grid pattern
  • The radial pattern
  • The informal web pattern
  • The Romantic pattern

56 of 94

Hierarchical Road System:

  1. Limited access freeway
  2. Provincial or state highway
  3. Major arterial street
  4. Arterial street
  5. Collector street
  6. Residential street
  7. Cul-de-sac.

Design an Interconnected Street System

57 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The same exact block can accommodate many uses. 640’ (1/8th mile) x 320’.

Density = 15 DU/acre

Density = 150 DU/acre

58 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The Portland Block.

Cute, walkable, too small.

The Manhattan block.

Long enough……but narrow. Serviced from street.

59 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Intersection for 40,000 cars a day in suburbs.

Intersection in streetcar city for 40,000 cars a day.

140’ crossing distance

77’ crossing distance

3’

60 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Intersection in streetcar city for 40,000 cars a day.

140’ crossing distance

77’ crossing distance

61 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Intersection in streetcar city for 40,000 cars a day.

Neckdowns

140’ crossing distance

77’ crossing distance

62 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Street widths throughout North American streetcar cities almost the same.

“Queuing street”

24 – 28 ft. or 7 - 8.5 m

63 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Standards for modern residential streets.

36 ft. or 10.5 m

82 ft. or 25 m diameter cul de sac bulbs.

64 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

65 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The problem of curb returns.

Increases speed around corners.

Increases crossing distances.

66 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

The problem of curb returns.

Increases speed around corners.

Increases crossing distances.

124’

67 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

This conspires to increase fire danger.

Risk of pedestrian deaths.

68 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Classic queuing street function.

69 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Status quo street function.

70 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Status quo street function.

Pathetic loser walking instead of driving.

71 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersections used at Pringle Creek project.

Salem Oregon.

72 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersection used at Pringle Creek.

Salem Oregon.

73 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersection used at Pringle Creek project.

Salem Oregon.

74 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersection used at Pringle Creek project.

Salem Oregon.

75 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersection used at Pringle Creek project.

Salem Oregon.

76 of 94

Design an Interconnected Street System

Ideal street intersection used at Pringle Creek project.

Salem Oregon.

77 of 94

WHAT TO REMEMBER

  • Speed kills, road width kills.
  • Corner details can kill.
  • Queuing streets and “side friction”
  • The radial pattern
  • Neckdowns at corners
  • The Romantic pattern

78 of 94

Rule 3.

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

Five minute walking distance is a key principle. In streetcar city contexts the five minute walk merges to form a linear public space.

79 of 94

Larc 581

Sustainable Cities

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

80 of 94

Depending on the street configuration, a five minute walk gets you either everywhere or nowhere

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

81 of 94

In auto oriented areas the five minute walking distance breaks down.

There are many disincentives for walking, even one minute.

No amount of transit service or bike lanes can fix this.

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

Pathetic loser waiting for bus

82 of 94

Larc 581

Sustainable Cities

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

83 of 94

Larc 581

Sustainable Cities

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

84 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

85 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

86 of 94

Larc 581

Sustainable Cities

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

87 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

88 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

89 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

90 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

91 of 94

Larc 581

Sustainable Cities

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.

92 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

93 of 94

J.

94 of 94

A five minute walking distance to commercial services and transit

J.