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For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.
50. Protect your bike lanes with plants. Vancouver took the protected bikeway one step further, turning the typical painted lanes into a planted greenway. Using self-watering planters instead of utilitarian poles not only safely separates bikes from cars, it improves the streetscape for all its users.
This is brilliant. In the example shown, large but portable planters were placed between the bike lane and the car lane. Any town could do that a few planters at a time; plastic ones are much cheaper than concrete. A more permanent fixture could be done -- say, the next time a street needs major work -- with poured concrete hardscaping for more protection. Another option would be to depave a strip and put in street trees, which I've seen elsewhere; after a few years, the trunks serve as bollards to protect bikers from cars. In an area prone to flooding, however, the depaved area might work better as a rain garden. The same approach works to protect walkers from bikers, if that's a concern in your area.
A key feature is that green bike protection serves multiple uses: It shields bike lanes from cars. It expands health-promoting greenspace. It offers habitat for pollinators -- or if you choose street trees, habitat for birds and also shade. When budgeting for municipal improvements, favor those with multiple benefits so you get the most bang for your buck.
Riffing further, the same type of portable planters can be used to block off space for other purposes. Use them to outline bicycle parking, a parklet with a couple of benches, a busk stop, al fresco dining, a sidewalk sale area, holiday displays, etc. This example shows a parklet and a bike rack. You do lose a little square footage, but you gain a barrier that people can't easily budge like they can poles and ribbons. Once filled with wet soil, those planters are HEAVY. But empty, the plastic kind are easy to move. Thus you can use these to define and redefine modular spaces in a plaza or wide sidewalk as needed. Throw in a few other loose parts such as tables, chairs, boards, risers, etc. -- things that the businesses on a given block could share -- and you gain even more versatility. An open public space then becomes an infinitely adaptable outdoor living area.
Use incrementalism and rapid prototyping to test new ideas with no risk. The most popular can then be made permanent, and gradually expanded from its starting point. This minimizes disorientation and mistakes from sudden changes.
50. Protect your bike lanes with plants. Vancouver took the protected bikeway one step further, turning the typical painted lanes into a planted greenway. Using self-watering planters instead of utilitarian poles not only safely separates bikes from cars, it improves the streetscape for all its users.
This is brilliant. In the example shown, large but portable planters were placed between the bike lane and the car lane. Any town could do that a few planters at a time; plastic ones are much cheaper than concrete. A more permanent fixture could be done -- say, the next time a street needs major work -- with poured concrete hardscaping for more protection. Another option would be to depave a strip and put in street trees, which I've seen elsewhere; after a few years, the trunks serve as bollards to protect bikers from cars. In an area prone to flooding, however, the depaved area might work better as a rain garden. The same approach works to protect walkers from bikers, if that's a concern in your area.
A key feature is that green bike protection serves multiple uses: It shields bike lanes from cars. It expands health-promoting greenspace. It offers habitat for pollinators -- or if you choose street trees, habitat for birds and also shade. When budgeting for municipal improvements, favor those with multiple benefits so you get the most bang for your buck.
Riffing further, the same type of portable planters can be used to block off space for other purposes. Use them to outline bicycle parking, a parklet with a couple of benches, a busk stop, al fresco dining, a sidewalk sale area, holiday displays, etc. This example shows a parklet and a bike rack. You do lose a little square footage, but you gain a barrier that people can't easily budge like they can poles and ribbons. Once filled with wet soil, those planters are HEAVY. But empty, the plastic kind are easy to move. Thus you can use these to define and redefine modular spaces in a plaza or wide sidewalk as needed. Throw in a few other loose parts such as tables, chairs, boards, risers, etc. -- things that the businesses on a given block could share -- and you gain even more versatility. An open public space then becomes an infinitely adaptable outdoor living area.
Use incrementalism and rapid prototyping to test new ideas with no risk. The most popular can then be made permanent, and gradually expanded from its starting point. This minimizes disorientation and mistakes from sudden changes.
