Street Typologies

Every city must identify the range of street typologies it encompasses. To ensure that new street designs are suitable for the given context, existing streets must be documented and analyzed as part of the comprehensive public space network.

Evaluate each street project to balance the needs of different transportation modes within the given context and culture. Ensure the designs serve social, environmental, and economic needs and functions.

Use the guidance in this chapter to identify opportunities for street transformations. The samples included here are placed in context to each other in the adjacent maps to help illustrate how different street types can work together to form a comprehensive network.

Create a similar map for your local context and identify the types that exist today, and those that are desirable for future urban conditions. Your city map may include the street types shown in this map such as:

1. Pedestrian-Only Streets
2. Laneways and Alleys
3. Parklets
4. Pedestrian Plazas
5. Commercial Shared Streets
6. Residential Shared Streets
7. Residential Streets
8. Neighborhood Main Streets
9. Central One-Way Streets
10. Central Two-Way Streets
11. Transit Streets
12. Large Streets with Transit
13. Grand Streets
14. Elevated Structure Improvements
15. Elevated Structure Removal
16. Streets to Streams
17. Temporary Street Closures
18. Post-Industrial Revitalization
19. Waterfront and Parkside Streets
20. Historic Streets
21. Streets in Informal Areas

See: Summary Chart of Typologies Illustrated.