Streets and other public realm spaces, such as plazas and parks, malls and arcades are key players in the urban fabric of a city or town and form the pedestrian network. When planning and designing these spaces both the facilities provided for and the environment for people walking need to be considered.
When planning and designing streets and public realm, a multidisciplinary team needs to be involved to understand how these components collectively influence the city/town’s character, identity and functionality, as well as the vitality and economic exchange of a place.
For more guidance associated with this refer to:
Aotearoa urban street planning and design guide
Section 3.2 includes:
- Streets
Streets are multidimensional public spaces that offer space for movement, access and place function for a variety of uses and activities. Street design that considers people walking in and across the street contribute to well-functioning, safe and liveable communities.
- Shared zones
Shared zone is a street intended to be used by pedestrians, people cycling and wheeling, and vehicles without demarcation and separation by a kerb or line markings. The planning and design of shared zones needs careful consideration for pedestrians in particular for some disabled people, such as neurodivergent people and visually impaired people.
- Public realm
Public realm is open and accessible to everyone and provide access across towns and cities. It includes all parts of the urban environment that people can experience or access, such as waterfronts, plazas, malls and arcades. Given that the public realm is publicly or privately owned and can be accessed by the public, it influences how permeable and accessible the built environment can be, and therefore needs to be planned and designed to cater for the needs of pedestrians.
- Off-street car parks
Car parks are places where people can leave their cars and walk to their destinations. They need therefore to be designed to make it safe and accessible for walking for both car park users and visitors arriving by foot.
Download Streets and public realm section of the Design chapter [PDF, 2.7 MB]
