Main Street Design
| Main
Streets are more than
just roads for cars
and trucks. They serve
as New Jersey's economic
engines and community
gathering places. They
provide the space for
civic life and serve
as the commercial town
center. Main Streets
are characterized by
compact, mixed-use
development patterns
with closely spaced
buildings close to
the street. They include
on-street parking,
wide sidewalks for
street furniture and
lighting, |
This main street illustrates
many of the characteristics
of good design. |
and
commercial style buildings
with large windows inviting
pedestrians inside. They
are comprised of short
blocks that provide direct
connections to the surrounding
local street network. NJFIT promotes main street projects
that support a balanced
design that accommodates
pedestrians, cyclists and
motor vehicles and ensures
that the Main Street is
accessible and reflects
the character of the community.
Prescriptions
Roadway area design
Main Streets should pay
special attention to street
design and make sure that
supporting elements are
included that reflect the
community's unique identity.
These elements may include
reduced travel lane widths,
textured crosswalks, bike
lanes, on-street parking
and signing.
Sidewalk area design
Equally important is the
adjacent sidewalks that
connect the businesses
and homes to the street.
Design features to consider
include 6 to 14 foot
sidewalks, pedestrian
level lighting, street
furniture (i.e. benches,
waste receptacles, bike
racks and transit shelters),
street trees and landscaping
and curb extensions.
Surrounding land uses
and design
Although the road and sidewalk
areas will enhance
the look and feel of a
community's Main Street,
it is equally important
that the building design
is at a human scale: buildings
set to the front property
line; inviting building
facades and windows; and
street level entrances.
An appropriate mix of land
uses, including residential,
will encourage an active
downtown and improve the
safety of Main Street after
business hours. With a
variety of amenities close
to one another, daily trips
become shorter and can
easily be taken without
a car. Achieving a healthy
mix of land uses may require
communities to change existing
zoning codes, tax policies
and utility charge policies
because these regulations
were often adopted with
the explicit goal of segregating
uses.
Encourage
infill development
Downtowns are much more pleasant and
lively if they are not littered with
empty or abandoned lots. Town officials
and community leaders should create incentives
for developers to build new buildings
on these sites. Ideally, these buildings
would include activities and services
that involve frequent public interaction
- such as retail, professional services
or civic offices - on the ground floor,
with office or residential activities
above.
Case
Studies and Programs: |
The
buildings on this
mixed-use street
in Princeton, NJ
have shops and
restaurants on
the ground floor
and apartments
and office space
on the upper stories. |
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