The Local Street
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When streets are designed for cars moving at 50 km/h, they are hostile to everyone else — pedestrians, cyclists, children, elderly, people in wheelchairs. The street becomes a barrier rather than a connector, and the neighborhood is severed by its own infrastructure.
Evidence and Discussion
The evidence is unambiguous: reducing vehicle speed to 30 km/h cuts pedestrian fatality risk by 80%. Streets designed for 30 km/h — narrow lanes, tight corners, raised crossings, street trees — are simultaneously safer, quieter, more commercially successful, and more socially active than streets designed for higher speeds.
Therefore
design every residential and commercial street for a maximum vehicle speed of 30 km/h. Narrow the roadway. Plant street trees at close intervals. Raise crossings to sidewalk level. Provide protected bike lanes or shared space. Use permeable surfaces where possible. The street should be a place where children can cross safely, where neighbors can talk without shouting, and where walking is more pleasant than driving.