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The Importance of Quality Streetscapes

Nate Berg, for PLanetizen via Street Science: All Eyes on the Street

Jeanne Haffner, Jan 14th, 2011, Next American City

Credit: Utile Design

In the history of attempts to make cities better and more livable, attention to the street has, since the 1960s and 1970s, assumed an axial position. In the early 1960s, urban critic Jane Jacobs was vexed at the loss of streetscape aesthetics, especially in public housing areas. She called for a return to spontaneity and vigor, a “ballet of the sidewalks” that would enrich the everyday lives of urban dwellers.

The need for attractive streetscapes is, perhaps, even more relevant now than it was in the 1960s. Walking around the city of Boston, I am often amazed at the condition of the streets, which are often unfriendly to anyone other than drivers. In the last few years, thanks to the pioneering efforts of the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and other organizations, this has begun to change. But many of the streets here—especially in low-income areas—remain in dire need of a deep makeover.

So I was thrilled to hear about a new “Complete Streets” initiative that is currently being developed by Utile, Inc., an architecture + planning firm located in downtown Boston, and directed by Tim Love. Working in close collaboration with the Boston Transportation Department and the Toole Design Group, a team of planners and architects at Utile, led by Ryan Sullivan and Corey Zehngebot, and including Meera Deean and Siqi Zhu, are developing an innovative illustrated manual, educational pamphlet, and website outlining a series of best practices for designing streetscapes across Boston. This project aims to make Boston’s streets more accessible to users of all types, from cyclists to handicapped persons and the elderly, but also, explains Ms. Zehngebot, to “make them places in themselves, rather than merely spaces that people only pass through.”

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