Illustration by Ian Mackay
Principles for the Living Street Applied
The Living Street optimizes for place
Much more than just a path for getting from point A to B, the street is a public living room where daily life unfolds, where a child climbing a tree to collect fruit illustrates that streets are first and foremost places, belonging to the public for common use.
The Living Street forgives
Kids can enjoy playing in the street and don’t have to worry about major consequences for chasing a ball since the street accommodates for a range of mistakes and inattention.
The Living Street embraces the human scale
Designed considering both the dimensions of the human body and the fact that people are sensory creatures, the buildings are rich in detail with interesting facades, allow for direct access to the street, and transition gradually from public to private through soft, occupiable, edge zones.
The Living Street invites participation
Members of the community actively participate to improve their street by working together to pave it.
The Living Street supports a range of interactions
Taking a moment to sit down and relax in an inviting public space with comfortable seating, a group of strangers - both young and old - engage in conversation, demonstrating the street as a place for interaction.
The Living Street delivers access and opportunity
A bustling transit node, easily accessed and connected to bus routes and a shared bike system, provides the perfect platform for a mobile vendor to sell goods and provide a service to passing pedestrians.
The Living Street promotes sharing with others
A bicyclist and skateboarder happily share the same space along a high quality bike path.
The Living Street provides a variety of real choices
From walking to taking the bus to biking or hoping on an electric scooter, the options are abundant so people have the freedom to choose how they want to move.
The Living Street allows people to be more human
A stranger keeps the door open of his shared ride to invite someone else in, reflecting people’s inherent desire to connect and good mobility’s ability to allow people to be more human.
The Living Street improves a sense of place
A well designed bus stop invites people to stop and stay with its playful and comfortable seating, which helps to create a rich, holistic mobility experience.