AESTHETICS MEET FUNCTION: MAKING ROADS SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL

The design and function scale of city highways has been unevenly weighted toward function, but municipal planners are trying to balance the scale. In recent years, geometry or shape of the road has taken priority over design, pitting the engineer against the landscape architect. This article reviews the history of roadbuilding and concludes that the imbalance between function and design can be attributed, in part, to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO) codified design guidelines. AASHTO's "Green Book" has been criticized for encouraging overbuilding and de-emphasizing environmental design. This article highlights roadways in municipalities where aesthetics and functionality are promoted simultaneously. Moreover, the public is participating in the decision process and demanding road beautification.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0149337X
• Corporate Authors:

  Argus Business

  6151 Powers Ferry Road, NW
  Atlanta, GA  United States  30339-2941
• Authors:
  • Cuthbertson, B
• Publication Date: 1995-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 40
• Serial:
  • American City & County
  • Volume: 110
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: Penton Media
  • ISSN: 0149-337X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision making; Design standards; Environmental impacts; Highway design; History; Landscape architecture; Public participation; Shape
• Identifier Terms: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
• Uncontrolled Terms: Geometry (Shape)
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; History; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00711603
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 26 1995 12:00AM