Design Standards
Road and Site Design Standards for Social Environments
The Road Design, Site Plan and Subdivision Standards, and Zoning adopted by a municipality can have a significant effect on street safety and walkability (Learn More about Road and Site Design Standards). Using these mechanisms, municipalities can promote social interactions.
Making streets safer and more active (for example, by installing pedestrian crossings and refuges) can provide the opportunity for greater social interactions. Even if a walker feels like keeping to themselves, research shows that simply being out in public can contribute to a sense of community.
iHaving places and a reason to interact is particularly important. For example, building a skate park provides opportunities for social connection among teens, while a bocce court might attract older adults.
Site design standards that encourage the creation of appealing meeting places, public parks, safe and pleasant public spaces, public seating, accessible and walkable spaces, and local shops can be used to promote social interactions, address access barriers, and strengthen community identity.
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The Transportation Section of this resource includes a a checklist of best practices to consider when exploring healthy road and site design standards. Learn about the transportation design standards checklist.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) uses design of the built environment as a mechanism to reduce fear of crime and incidence of crime, with the goal of improving quality of life.
The four overlapping principles of CPTED are:
Natural Surveillance: Design can facilitate more “eyes on the street” and ensure more consistent observation of public spaces, which can deter potential offenders
Access Control: Design can deter certain types of illegal activity
Territorial Enforcement: Policies and design elements can establish clear boundaries within and between public and private areas and strengthen feelings of ownership
Maintenance and Management: Policies and design elements can foster “pride of place”, attracted more wanted activities in public spaces
For Mass in Motion Coordinators and other Massachusetts practitioners, MAPC has developed an online CPTED resource that should be a first stop for anyone interested in this mechanism. Learn more on the MAPC Website.
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