Designing Streets for Kids

2020·257.5 MB·English

by  National Association of City Transportation Officials

Designing
Streets
for Kids
Global Designing Cities Initiative
About
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Designing
Streets
for Kids

Designing
Streets
for Kids
National Association of City
Transportation Officials
120 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10017
www.nacto.org

Library of Congress Control Number:
2019956886
ISBN: 978-1-64283-071-2
© Copyright 2020 National Association of City
Transportation Officials
GDCI Core Project Team
Corinne Kisner Skye Duncan
Executive Director, Director, Skye Duncan
NACTO Global Designing Cities Initiative Director

The National Association of City The Global Designing Cities Initiative Ankita Chachra
Senior Program Manager
Transportation Officials (NACTO) is an (GDCI) is a program of NACTO. Our

association of 81 major North American mission is to inspire a shift toward Annie Peyton
cities and transit agencies formed safe, sustainable, and healthy cities Senior Program Associate
to exchange transportation ideas, through transforming our streets. We
Anna Siprikova
insights, and practices and cooperatively are a team of designers, planners,
Senior Program Associate
approach national transportation issues. and urban strategists committed to
NACTO’s mission is to build cities as working in support of city practitioners Kat Gowland
places for people, with safe, sustainable, to get projects on the ground. We focus Design Associate
accessible, and equitable transportation on empowering local officials and
choices that support a strong economy communities to become changemakers, Advisory Committee
and vibrant quality of life. We do this by: equipping them with the knowledge,
Jens Aerts
communicating a bold vision for 21st tools, and tactics needed to improve UNICEF, United States
century urban mobility and building urban mobility and fundamentally change
strong leadership capacity among city the role of streets in our cities. Lotte Bech
Urban Cycle Planning, Denmark
transportation officials; empowering
a coalition of cities to lead the way on GDCI Advisory Board Joyati Das
transportation policy at the local, state, Janette Sadik-Khan Botnar Healthy Cities for Adolescents
and national levels; and raising the state Permanent Chair, GDCI Program, Australia
of the practice for street design that Principal,
prioritizes people walking, biking, and Bloomberg Associates Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Brookings Institution/Temple University,
taking transit. Margaret Newman United States
Associate Principal with the Integrated
NACTO Board of Directors, 2019 Planning Team, Tim Gill
ARUP Independent researcher, United Kingdom
Seleta Reynolds

NACTO President Hal Harvey Gabriella Gómez-Mont
General Manager, CEO, Experimentalista/The Urban Task Force,
Los Angeles Department of Transportation Energy Innovation Mexico

Janette Sadik-Khan Helle Søholt Seung Lee
NACTO Chair Founding Partner, Save the Children, United States
Principal, Gehl Architects
Bloomberg Associates Julia Nebrija
Darren Walker Urban Planner, Philippines
Robin Hutcheson President,
NACTO Vice President Ford Foundation Amanda O’Rourke
Director of Public Works, 8 80 Cities, Canada
City of Minneapolis Mark Watts
AJ Pearlman
Executive Director,
KaBOOM!, United States
Robert Spillar C40 Cities
NACTO Treasurer
Ayikai Poswayo
Director of Transportation, Acknowledgments Amend, Ghana
City of Austin
This project would not have been possible
Carolina Tohá
Michael Carroll without the support and guidance of the Instituto Ciudad, Chile
NACTO Secretary
Bernard van Leer Foundation, Bloomberg
Deputy Managing Director, Office of
Philanthropies, FIA Foundation, and
Transportation and Infrastructure Systems,
City of Philadelphia Fondation Botnar. The project team
would also like to thank the members
Joseph E. Barr, AICP of the Global Expert Network and other
NACTO Affiliate Member Representative international contributors. Thanks to
Director, Traffic, Parking & Transportation,
Heather Boyer of Island Press.
City of Cambridge
Contents
Introduction
Forewords x
A Word from Our Chair xi
About the Guide xii
Streets for Kids Around the World xiv
Global Influences xvi
A B
1 Focusing on Kids 2 2 Designing at Multiple Scales 20
1.1 Fundamentals of Child-Friendly Streets 4 2.1 Working Across Scales 22
1.2 Children and Caregivers as Street Users 6 2.2 Planning Streets for Kids at the City Scale 24
1.3 Early Childhood Development 8 2.3 Neighborhoods for Walking 26
1.4 Children’s Needs from Streets 10 2.4 Neighborhoods for Cycling 28
1.5 Global Health Crisis 12 2.5 Neighborhoods for Transit 30
1.6 Identifying Challenges 14
1.7 Thriving in Cities 15
3 Street Design Strategies 32
1.8 Ten Actions to Improve Streets for Children 16
3.0 Street Design Strategies 34
3.1 Upgrade: Meet Basic Needs 35
3.2 Protect: Design for Appropriate Speeds 36
3.3 Reclaim: Allocate Space for People 37
3.4 Activate: Incorporate Play and Learning 38
3.5 Extend: Integrate Adjacent Spaces 39

4 Transforming Streets 52
4.0 Different Street Types in the City 54
4.1 Streets near Key Destinations 56
4.2 Neighborhood Streets 66
4.3 Commercial and Mixed-Use Streets 74
4.4 Thoroughfares 82
4.5 Special Conditions 92
4.6 Intersections 102
C
5 Street Design Elements 110 6 How to Make Change Happen 134
5.1 Pedestrian Crossings 112 6.1 Build a Plan for Implementation 136
5.2 Sidewalks 114 6.2 Work Together with Multiple Stakeholders 138
5.3 Pause and Play Spaces 116 6.3 Engage Children and Caregivers 140
5.4 Seating 118 6.4 Engagement Tools and Methods 142
5.5 Play and Learning 120 6.5 Demonstrate Possibilities 146
5.6 Nature and Landscaping 122 6.6 Temporarily Open Streets for Kids 150
5.7 Transit Stops 124
5.8 Cycle Infrastructure 126
7 Scaling Up 154
5.9 Cycle Facilities 128
5.10 Additional Elements 130 7.1 Take a Comprehensive Approach 156
7.2 Update Policies 160
7.3 Integrate Land Use and Mobility 162
7.4 Launch Effective Programs and Initiatives 166
7.5 Allocate Funding 168
7.6 Measure Impact 170

Resources 172
Acknowledgments
174
Notes
178
References
181
Appendix A | Conversion Chart
185
Appendix B | Making a Strong Case for Children
186
Appendix C | Include Children in All Policies and Plans
188
Appendix D | Examples of Metrics
192
Forewords
Bernard van Leer Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies

“This design guide for kids supports cities in the design “Designing Streets for Kids provides a missing voice in
of streets as a public space of social encounter, equity, the fight for better, safer streets. This guide builds on
and inclusion. It considers the specific needs of babies, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ efforts to bring road safety
toddlers, and caregivers to transform streets into public projects where they are most needed, not only for children
spaces that create and promote healthy interactions themselves but also for their families and caregivers.”
and positive journeys for both children and caregivers.
This guide advises on how to design, build, and maintain
healthy, alive, welcoming, thriving, green, and play-worthy Michael Bloomberg
streets.” Founder, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Former Mayor of the City of New York
Cecilia Vaca Jones
Program Director, Bernard van Leer Foundation
FIA Foundation Fondation Botnar

“Prioritizing the rights and health of children in urban areas “This book not only brings guidance on how to plan and
is key to tackling air pollution and dangerous roads, and to design streets for children and youth, but actively together
promoting active, zero carbon mobility. Children deserve with them. Taking their views into consideration can add
safe, healthy journeys. Placing children at the heart of unexpected and refreshing new ideas to the benefit of all
urban street design, this resource supports safer, cleaner, of us, children and adults. But moreover, meaningfully
greener, more equitable and livable cities.” including children and youth as key stakeholders increases
their confidence and competence, and allows them to
actively contribute to society as informed citizens.”
Saul Billingsley
Executive Director, FIA Foundation
Susanna Hausmann-Muela
Chief Program Officer, Fondation Botnar
x DESIGNING STREETS FOR KIDS