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/

Media Info

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

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

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