Today I would like to discuss physical
barriers in urban design. Many design decisions can create physical
barriers, and one of the most common is our street design. In cities
across Canada and the United States we have created a series of high
speed roads cutting though our urban cores, solely for the purpose of
moving automobiles quickly though these areas. These roads can take
shape in many forms, the raised or sunken highway is one of the most
destructive. Thankfully we have learned from our ways and many
cities have already began the process of removing these highways and
creating complete streets in their place. Some of the best known
examples in Toronto and New York.
Here in Windsor we have Riverside
Drive. Now “The Drive” is not a highway by any means, but it can
but just as much of a barrier. Riverside drive experiences high
speed traffic that cuts the downtown core off from our fantastic
waterfront parks. Recently Mayor Eddie Francis suggested that a
series of tunnels under Riverside Drive in an effort to eliminate
this barrier. The unfortunate reality is that though this concept
may provide a “safer” passage under the busy street, but does
nothing to solve the issue of Riverside Driving being a barrier
itself.
In addition to the problem of The Drive
acting as a psychological barrier, it's high speed traffic, lack of
parking, bicycle lanes, protection of pedestrians from moving cars,
has caused problems of vacancy and blight along what could be a strip
of Windsor's more desirable properties. Riverside is far from being
what planners term a “complete street”. The goal of creating
complete streets is one that addresses the needs of all users:
motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, public transit, etc. The side
effect of building complete streets is it best serves the properties
fronting the street.
https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=42.322059,-83.028802&spn=0.006687,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.322059,-83.028802&panoid=VtXoUfWm46zaZgTNTntaCA&cbp=12,77.88,,0,0
https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=42.322059,-83.028802&spn=0.006687,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.322059,-83.028802&panoid=VtXoUfWm46zaZgTNTntaCA&cbp=12,77.88,,0,0
Below I have prepared a proposal for
Riverside drive that allows for 1 lane of moving traffic in each
direction, 1 lane of parking on the South side of the street, bicycle
lanes on both sides and a boulevard. This design will calm
motorists, add valuable street parking and promote retail in the
downtown area. For the areas east of downtown, the residents will
get their street parking back, and no longer have a high speed road
only meters from their doorsteps.
It was common in years past to only
consider the best interest of motorists. Recently we have been
redesigning our streets do much more than move automobiles, we have
taken all the users of the street into consideration and most
importantly, the properties that front the street. If we take a plan
to redesign Riverside Drive as a complete street seriously, I
strongly believe we will not only eliminate the barrier between the
downtown core and the river, we will solve the problems of blight and
vacancy Riverside Drive also faces. If doing so, motorists need to
spend a few more minutes behind the wheel when moving though this
part of town, then so be it, the vitally of our city is more
important.
