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.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
“We have been building transportation through communities, not communities through transportation.”
Reimagining Streets
Streets are our most fundamental public spaces. They often represent the largest area of public space in a community and provide the overarching framework by which our cities physically expand and develop over time. For streets to become better places, we must design, manage, and program them as places for people first.
Introduced by Project for Public Spaces, the concept of Streets as Places challenges everyone to see streets in their entirety — not just their function in transporting people and goods, but the vital role they play in energizing social and economic life in communities. Streets as Places positions communities as the owners of their streets, with a right and a responsibility to directly impact how their public spaces look, function, and feel.
As Main Street leaders, you can think of Streets as Places as both an organizing concept for why we should prioritize streets in planning, and as a strategy for reimagining neighborhoods. By thinking about the entire history, system, and quality of place that your streets have and contribute to, you can work with your community to find creative solutions for animating social, economic, and civic life.
Base street structure for this graphic was provided by Colorado Downtown Streets, a collaborative publication by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Transportation, and Community Builders. Streetscape image overlay prepared by Aleksandra Platnikova, with support from Alina Bibisheva.
Resources
- Benfield, Kaid (CityLab) — Streets Can Be Public Spaces Too
- Bertolini, Luca and von Schönfeld, Carlotta Kim (Transportation Research Procedia) — Urban Streets between Public Space and Mobility
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Transportation, and Community Builders — Colorado Downtown Streets
- Conniff, Richard (The New York Times) — The Pedestrian Strikes Back
- Chen, Yunyue and Cohn, Jonathan (CityLab) — Rethinking Manhattan’s Grid
- Livable City — Streets as Public Spaces: A Resource Guide
- Pacheco, Priscila (TheCityFix) — Public Spaces: 10 Principles for Connecting People and the Streets
- Partnership for Active Transportation — Human-Centered Mobility Principles
- Project for Public SpacesReimagining Our Streets as Places: From Transit Routes to Community Roots
Streets as Places Toolkit - Scruggs, Gregory (Next City) — How Much Public Space Does a City Need?
UNHABITAT — Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity
Related Resources
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Franklin, Louisiana © Franklin Main Street
State of Main: Fall 2016
Welcome to the inaugural edition of State of Main, the annual publication of Main Street America featuring thought leadership from across the network.
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AARP Bike Audit
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Wayfinding Sign System Guide
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Sterling, Illinois. © Sterling Main Street
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Commercial District Design: Parklets and Pedlets
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Commercial District Design: Trails and Parks
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State of Main: Winter 2019
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Guidance on how to evaluate streets, balance transportation needs, and build partnerships with other leaders.
Activating the Main Street Approach through Placemaking
Learn how placemaking principles can be utilized as an implementation strategy of local Main Street efforts to empower community members and create more action-oriented programs
Metuchen, NJ © Lauren Beischer
Designing for Health & Wellbeing Supports Community Prosperity
A look at the connection between the wellbeing of residents and the vitality of communities and explore the wide range of design elements and tools available that will lead to more active, accessible and connected Main Streets. Published in State of Main.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards
Use these accessibility standards to guide you as you make accessibility upgrades in your community. Published by US Access Board.
Chicago, Illinois © Max Bender
Building a Path toward Clean Water and Vibrant Communities
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Green Streets in Iowa
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