Index

Bibliography

Contents:
List of Figures ix --
List of Tables xiii --
Acknowledgments xiv --
Introduction 1 --
Why This Book? 2 --
The Chapters to Follow 4 --
1 A Ubiquitous Urban Space for People 7 --
The Primacy of the Street 9 --
Why Espouse the Street? 10 --
What is the Street? Definitions, Images and Meanings 11 --
Sociability : A Primary Role of Public Space 20 --
Sociable Streets : A Definition 23 --
2 The Street Evolving : A Brief Social History 27 --
Developing Identity 28 --
Streets Determine Settlement Growth 30 --
The Quintessential Image Crystallizes 32 --
Linear Streets : The New Unit of Planning 34 --
Changing Image : New Roles, New Scales 40 --
Grand Visions 48 --
Resurgence of the People Street 50 --
3 Everyday Social Behavior as a Basis for Design 57 --
Design of Modern Public Space 58 --
Theories in Environmental and Ecological Psychology 58 --
Theories in Environmental and Ecological Psychology 58 --
Territoriality in Public Space 60 Proxemics and Personal Distance 62 --
Human Behavior as a Basis for Design 64 --
4 Three Streets 67 --
Study Areas 68 --
Methods and Research Protocols 79 --
Where the People Were 82 --
How Long People Stayed 89 --
Lively Sites : Settings for Social Behavior 92 --
How People Perceived the Street 93 --
5 Sociable Streets : A Typology of Social Behaviors 97 --
Passive Sociability : Alone Together 100 --
Fleeting Sociability 106 --
Enduring Sociability 110 --
6 Needs for Social Behavior on Streets 117 --
Sense Comfort and Pleasure on the Street 117 --
Environmental Comfort on the Street 120 --
Environmental Comfort on the Street 125 --
Physical Comfort on the Street 128 --
Usefulness and Convenience on the Street 133 --
Sensory Pleasure on the Street 134 --
Sense of Belonging on the Street 143 --
Myriad Users, Multiple Meanings 152 --
Territoriality, Personalization and Control on the Street 159 --
Street Characteristics and Sociability 165 --
The Street as Place 174 --
7 Making Sociable Streets: Guidelines and Application 181 --
Street Culture 181 --
Guidelines 188 --
Three Aspects of the Sociable Street 202 --
The Street, Livability, Sense of Community and Urbanity 203 --
What can we Learn from these Streets? 205 --
What can we Learn from these Streets? 205 --
Appendices 209 --
Notes 215 --
References 219 --
Index 229 --

Illustrations:
2.1 A souk in the Middle East 29 --
2.2 The image of the medieval city is crystallized by the medieval street 31 --
2.3 Porticos line the streets of Bologna, Italy, to create a continuous shelter for pedestrians 34 --
2.4 The new linear streets of Rome in the sixteenth century reorganize and expand the city for religious and civic purposes 35 --
2.5 A Parisian arcade-a vibrant interior street 36 --
2.6 Paris Street; Rainy Day. Painting by Gustave Caillebotte 37 --
2.7 Boulevard Montmartre. Painting by Camille Pissarro 38 --
2.8 San Francisco civic center 39 --
2.9 The street grid of San Francisco, California 40 --
2.10 Mulberry Street, New York City shows an example of the population explosion in major cities at the end of the nineteenth century 41 --
2.11 Bandit's Roost. Photograph by Jacob Riis 42 --
2.12 A Leafy Avenue, Letchworth Garden City. Photograph by Ed J. Burrow 43 --
2.13 La Ville Contemporaine. Sketch by Le Corbusier for the Contemporary City 45 --
2.14 Le Soleil et l'Ombre. Sketch by Le Corbusier 45 --
2.15 The Living City. Sketches by Frank Lloyd Wright 47 --
2.16 Aerial view of highways outside Las Vegas, Nevada 49 --
2.17 Stroget in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a successful example of a pedestrian only street 51 --
2.18 The Wonnerf (living yard) reclaims the streets for neighborly activities 52 --
2.19 Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts, an example of a festive marketplace 53 --
2.20 The main commercial street in Celebration, Florida, a master-planned subdivision created by The Walt Disney Company 54 --
4.1 Location plan showing three study areas in the Boston metropolitan area 69 --
4.2 Massachusetts Avenue main commercial street of Central Square 71 --
4.3 Map showing the five blocks studied on Massachusetts Avenue in the Central Square neighborhood of Cambridge, MA 71 --
4.4 Views of the five blocks studied on Massachusetts Avenue 72 --
4.5 A combined plan and elevation of five blocks studied on Massachusetts Avenue 73 --
4.6 Harvard Street-main commercial street of Coolidge Corner 74 --
4.7 Map showing the six blocks studied on Harvard Street in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline, MA 74 --
4.8 Views of the six blocks studied on Harvard Street 75 --
4.9 A combined plan and elevation of six blocks studied on Harvard Street 76 --
4.10 Elm Street main commercial street of Davis Square 77 --
4.11 Map showing the eight blocks studied on Elm Street in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, MA 77 --
4.12 Views of the eight blocks studied on Elm Street 78 --
4.13 A combined plan and elevation of eight blocks studied on Elm Street 79 --
4.14 A combined plan and elevation of eight blocks studied on Elm Street 79 --
4.15 Behavioral map of people engaged in some stationary activity on weekdays and weekends on five blocks on Massachusetts Avenue at Central Square, Cambridge, MA 85 --
4.16 Behavioral map of people engaged in some stationary activity on weekdays and weekends on six blocks on Harvard Street at Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA 85 --
4.17 Behavioral map of people engaged in some stationary activity on weekdays and weekends on eight blocks on Elm Street at Davis Square, Somerville, MA 86 --
4.18 Number of people engaged in some type of stationary activity on weekdays and weekends on nineteen blocks in two cities and a town in the Boston metropolitan area 86 --
4.19 Behavioral map of people in groups engaged in some stationary social activity on weekdays and weekends on five blocks on Massachusetts Avenue at Central Square, Cambridge, MA 87 --
4.20 Behavioral map of people in groups engaged in some stationary social activity on weekdays and weekends on six blocks on Harvard Street at Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA 87 --
4.21 Behavioral map of people in groups engaged in some stationary social activity on weekdays and weekends on eight blocks on Elm Street at Davis Square, Somerville, MA 88 --
4.22 Axonometric showing the three zones of activity on the street 88 --
4.23 The different uses of the three zones of activity on the street 90 --
4.24 Duration of stay of people in stationary and social activities on weekdays and weekends on seventy eight block segments on nineteen blocks in the three study areas 91 --
4.25 Selected perceptions and attitudes of users regarding the neighborhood commercial street Massachusetts Avenue 94 --
4.26 Selected perceptions and attitudes of users regarding the neighborhood commercial street Harvard Street 95 --
4.27 Selected perceptions and attitudes of users regarding the neighborhood commercial street Elm Street 96 --
5.1 The street is a place for passive sociability 101 --
5.2 The street is a place for participation , celebration and display Elm Street during a festival 102 --
5.3 Postures, body language and activities are an indication of relaxation on the street 103 --
5.4 Play as a passive social activity a guitarist playing on Massachusetts Avenue 104 --
5.5 The street is a place for fleeting sociability people briefly stop by to engage with others 107 --
5.6 Street characteristics support fleeting sociability 108 --
5.7 Some examples of enduring sociability on the street 111 --
5.8 At certain points businesses furnished the street to create an inviting gathering space 113 --
5.9 At several locations wide tree-covered sidewalks with benches enable people to gather 113 --
5.10 In certain areas the street lacked the space or furnishings to enable a setting for gathering, even as the adjacent businesses were hubs for meeting and socializing 114 --
6.1 What users did on twelve blocks in three study areas 118 --
6.2 Level of use of twelve blocks in three study areas 118 --
6.3 Why users preferred some blocks more than others on the same street 119 --
6.4 Why users preferred not to use some blocks on the same street 119 --
6.5 Relationships between sociability and users' perceptions 122 --
6.6 "What are the three most important things about this block that you would not want to change?" 123 --
6.7 "What are the three most important things that you would like to change or add on this block?" 124 --
6.8 Examples of both kinds of building façades on the streets unanimated and barren with blank walls, and articulated and animated 126 --
6.9 Shaded or semi shaded spaces under trees, in entrance alcoves, and in niches and nooks of buildings allow people to occupy the street for long periods 127 --
6.10 Incidental integral surfaces such as ledges, planters, steps and bollards, on which people could sit, contribute to retaining people in the street 130 --
6.11 In the most sociable setting, chairs from the coffeehouse are moved to nearby locations by patrons to suit their needs to expand and contract territories as needed 131 --
6.12 The different and often unforeseeable uses of various physical artifacts and street furniture 132 --
6.13 The blocks on the three streets that people found more attractive and visually interesting 136 --
6.14 Permeable store fronts intrigued several people and offered them opportunities to sense the activities and artifacts inside the stores 138 --
6.15 Children’s play newspaper and magazine dispensing boxes become objects of interest, discovery and play 140 --
6.16 Children’s play a bench is used to climb, descend and perform various types of gymnastics 141 --
6.17 Children learn social skills and are exposed to people of different backgrounds and groups, helping develop compassion and empathy for people unlike themselves 142 --
6.18 The street provides a platform to bring special to bring special arts programs that offer opportunities to learn not only by seeing but also by actively engaging in the activities 142 --
6.19 The different ways of personalizing the store front 144 --
6.20 A variety of businesses on the street act as community gathering places 146 --
6.21 Small stores are preferred not only for the quality and variety of their goods and services, and the presence of friendly staff, but also for their uniqueness, overall appearance, ambience and function as a community gathering place 150 --
6.22 Street fronts and sociability 151 --
6.23 The locations on Massachusetts Avenue where certain groups repeatedly claimed street space 156 --
6.24 The locations on Harvard Street where certain groups repeatedly claimed street space 156 --
6.25 The locations on Elm Street where certain groups repeatedly claimed street space 157 --
6.26 Territorial map based on observations and behavioral maps showing the range and intensity of the territories-Massachusetts 161 --
6.27 Territorial map based on observations and behavioral maps showing the range and intensity of the territories Harvard St. 162 --
6.28 Territorial map based on observations and behavioral maps showing the range and intensity of the territories Elm St. 163 --
6.29 Territorial map based on observations and behavioral maps showing the range and intensity of the territories Elm St. 164 --
6.30 Scree plot showing the Eigenvalues of the components 170 --
6.31 Important characteristics of the street 172 --
6.32 Varying sociability on two similar physical street configurations 174 --
6.33 The space on the street outside 1369 Coffeehouse is transformed from a space of movement to a space of rest a meaningful gathering place for the community 176 --
6.34 People shared significant events with friends at the street space outside 1369 Coffeehouse 177 --
6.35 The coffeehouse patrons and others claim a large territory of the street without placing any barricades 178 --
6.36 An employee of 1369 Coffeehouse personalizes the street front by changing seasonal plants and flowers 179 --
6.37 The ‘’room’’ like quality of the street space outside 1369 Coffeehouse provided a sense of enclosure with a distinct ‘’insideness’’ 180 --
7.1 Shops and vendors make up a typical neighborhood commercial street in Delhi, India 183 --
7.2 On the street in the East, various activities and behaviors occur simultaneously, often competing and negotiating for space 183 --
7.3 Vendors anchor multiple uses and serve many needs 184 --
7.4 Activities such as cooking, eating and cleaning introduce a wide range of olfactory and aural stimuli on the street 185 --
7.5 A typical high traffic vehicular street is claimed and reappropriated as a pedestrian domain during domain during an arts and crafts exhibition 187 --
7.6 A neighborhood commercial street in Jackson Heights, Queens, New Yor City 188 --

Tables :
4.1 Characteristics of study participants 83 --
4.2 Schedule of behavioral mapping for the three study areas 84 --
4.3 Assigned score for duration of stay 93 --
5.1 Postures, behaviors and activities observed on the street 99 --
6.1 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with varying percentages of "no dead space" 125 --
6.2 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with different numbers of seating provided by public authorities 128 --
6.3 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with different numbers of seating provided by businesses 129 --
6.4 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with different width of sidewalk 132 --
6.5 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with difference in variety of stores on the block 134 --
6.6 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with different numbers of "rooted" signs 136 --
6.7 Distribution of mean Sociability Index across block segments with or without community places 147 --
6.8 The distribution and types of small and large businesses on the three streets 149 --
6.9 The difference between the Sociability Index of the street at small and large businesses on the three streets 149 --
6.10 User choice of favorite businesses on the three streets 150 --
6.11 Selected characteristics of the street 168 --
6.12 Relationship between characteristics of the street and sociability 169 --
6.13 Correlations between the eleven characteristics 170 --
6.14 Percentage variance of four factors 170 --
6.15 Details of factor analysis showing the weightings of each characteristic 171 --
6.16 Ratings for block segment 2 173 --

"How do we make sociable streets? This book shows us how these ordinary public spaces can be planned and designed to become settings that support an array of social behaviors. Through carefully crafted research, The Street systematically examines people's actions and perceptions, develops a comprehensive typology of social behaviors on the neighborhood commercial street and provides a thorough inquiry into the social dimensions of streets"-- Provided by publisher