Pedestrian Friendly Streetscapes
What is a Pedestrian Friendly Streetscape?
Pedestrian-friendly streetscaping is a process of recreating streets and sidewalks so that streets and sidewalks can once again serve as the center of communal life. At one time, streets and sidewalks were where people of all ages walked, biked, shopped, ate, played, and met their neighbors. But today, streets and sidewalks with this kind of activity are the exception rather than the rule.
What are the Benefits?
- Pedestrian-friendly streets encourage people to walk or bike rather than drive. There are numerous health benefits from both activities.
- Pedstrian-friendly streets help reduce driving. The benefits of a reduction in driving are an improvement in air quality and a decrease in gasoline consumption.
- Pedestrian-friendly streets encourage shoppers to spend more time along a street which often relates to an increase in retail sales.
What is the Impact?
Pedestrian-friendly streetscape improvements can help make a community healthier, more vibrant, and more attractive as a place to live, work, and own a business.
Tracking Progress
Within the Sustainable Sandhills region, some cities have made progress in creating pedestrian-friendly streetscapes. For example, the cities of Fayetteville, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen have created pedestrian-friendly streetscapes in their downtown areas. The Mid-Carolina Rural Planning Organization published a "Bicycle and Pedestrian Inventory" in 2005. This document provides detailed maps for sidewalks and bike paths in Harnett, Cumberland, Sampson and Bladen counties.
How to Implement
Actions by the General Public
- Participate in the planning processes for steetscape improvements.
- Support expenditure of public money for streetscape improvements.
Actions by Planing Staff Members
- Develop plans for streetscape improvements. (Such a plan could identify streets in need of streetscape improvements, recommend priorities for improvements, and provide views of streetscapes before and after improvements are implemented.)
- Seek any available grants for streetscape improvements.
Actions by Appointed Officials
- Review, amend, and then adopt plans for streetscape improvements.
- Develop policies and codes to encourage reinvesting in the town center and other commerical nodes.
Actions by Elected Officials
- Review, amend, and then adopt plans for streetscape improvements.
- Approve expenditure of public money for streetscape improvements.
Sources of Assistance and Ideas
- The North Carolina Main Street Center: This center operates out of the Office of Urban Development in the Department of Commerce's Division of Community Assistance.
- Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL) Action Items
- North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT): In North Carolina, transportation-related landscaping and pedestrian improvement projects under $100,000 could qualify for NCDOT funds. For more information contact your local NCDOT division office.
- Cape Fear Council of Governments
- Lumber River Council of Governments
- Mid Carolina Council of Governments
Contact:
- Rodney Swink FASLA, Director
- NC Main Street Center, 4313 Mail Service Center
- Raleigh, NC 27699-4313
- Phone: (919)733-2850
- Fax: (919)733-5262