Physical Barriers in Urban Design

     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.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/top-12-urban-highway-removal-projects/1953

     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.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/23/henderson-linking-the-waterfront-to-core/

     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

     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.