TOWARDS BETTER RESIDENTIAL STREETS

The paper identifies problems with existing design practice for residential streets, shows why they arise, and proposes solutions. Examples are given to show that design standards are in general too high and in some cases even counter-productive; in other words, that residential streets are overdesigned. The consequences of this are analysed in an economic and sociological framework to show the following: first, present design practice wastes resources, principally of land but also of labour and construction materials; second, residential street design contributes significantly to inequity and social stratification in cities; third, existing design practice is environmentally damaging; lastly, it may inhibit the expression of legitimate lifestyles. The solution lies in encouraging lower design standards (consistent with the demands of public health and safety) and altering the institutional framework to remove the incentive to enforce over-design. /Author/TRRL/

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceeding of the 8th Conference of the Australian Road Research Board.
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • ROCKLIFFE, N
  • PATERSON, J
• Conference:
  • Australian Road Research Board Conference Proc
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-5
• Serial:
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Design; Design standards; Highway design; Highways; Residential areas; Socioeconomic factors; Standards; Streets; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Street design
• ITRD Terms: 8525: Conference; 9011: Design (overall design); 2755: Highway; 307: Residential area; 187: Specification (standard); 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00164186
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM