Main Street Disaster and Resilience Toolkit
This publication is designed to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
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Street design is among the most important environmental decisions a community makes, affecting everything from clean air and water to efficient land use and the quality of animal, plant, and human life. A well-designed, people-oriented street encourages environmental sustainability by emphasizing the inherent green features of Main Street districts, including the compact blocks, density, and green spaces that make them walkable and accessible.
Retaining the compact layout of historic cores, incorporating green and efficient streetscape elements, and reusing older and historic buildings — all core tenets of people-oriented streets — positively contribute to the environmental sustainability and resilience of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Adverse effects of car-oriented streets can include:
People-oriented approaches can result in these environmental benefits:
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