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Green BuildingGuidelines for Design
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Streets and public spaces that encourage pedestrian activity are
essential characteristics of livable, sustainable cities. Critical
design issues include making streets and public spaces safe and
comfortable, and distinguishing between public, semi-public and private
spaces.
Streets well used by residents and locals who feel a
sense of ownership tend to be safe streets. Secure streets are
typically animated throughout the day and evening. To encourage this,
provide a variety of uses on each site, design public boulevards to
accommodate informal gatherings and activities, and include appropriate
security lighting.
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Street life and safety can be enhanced with facades that:
- Are attractive, humanly scaled and accessible to pedestrians, provide a sense of enclosure, interest and variety.
- Clearly signal transitions from public to semi-public to private space, using arches, gateways, thickened corners, etc.
- Orient occupied windows toward public spaces to provide “eyes on the street”.
- Vary ground level uses and activities that encourage sidewalk use throughout the day and not just during business hours.
- Avoid creating seldom-used, natural hiding spots that cannot be seen by passersby and building occupants.
Good lighting is critical for safe streets at night.
- Provide effective lighting onto sidewalks in accordance with illuminance levels and cut-off angles as specified by IESNAs RP8.
- Provide adequate lighting to emphasize significant street features: walls, street signs, mailboxes and obstacles.
Creating comfortable outdoor areas to walk through or relax in is also important for a high quality street life. Flexible outdoor spaces offer a variety of uses and are more likely to be used year-round. Small spaces are more intimate and more easily shaded and made secure.
- Provide courtyard spaces and other contained outdoor areas to provide a choice of sheltered and sunlit outdoor spaces. Canopies, arcades and trellises are three options to protect pedestrians from the elements.
- Avoid trapping pollutants in spaces next to streets by using high tree canopies or plantings that promote air circulation.
- Provide wider areas next to sidewalks for shaded seating and small gatherings that do not obstruct pedestrian traffic.
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The interface between buildings and public space is a critical feature
of urban street life. Clear transitions allow easy movement and
wayfinding while avoiding extensive signage. While it is important to
mark the transition from public to semi-public to private space,
permeability between zones is also crucial.
- Design features such as stoops and entries to provide a zone of shared space neither totally private nor totally public.
- Share entrances between two or more suites, encouraging informal meetings of neighbors.
- In commercial areas, make the entrances visible using canopies, arcades, widened sidewalks, etc.
- Extend the street space into the building at main entrances.
Stimulate interaction between public and private spaces with changes in
height or level, plantings, stoops and bay windows. Second-storey
shops, offices and residence entrances can further extend the public
domain.
- Use the size of transition areas to regulate the intimacy and intensity of social activity.
- Ensure a visible and attractive connection with main paths in
public or semi-public space, so that they are not hidden and unused.
Give people a reason to enter the space.
Cautions
- Simply directing windows toward public spaces is insufficient.
Building occupants need a sense of ownership and responsibility for the
street, which is provided by balancing several of these techniques.
- Ensure that sheltered areas are visible from the street, sidewalk and building.
- Avoid creating small dark, courtyards that winter sun never reaches.
- Heavy and massive arcades and other features can obscure retail visibility and affect pedestrian safety.
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Last updated: Friday, 02/05/2010
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