16 Ways to Design a Better Intersection---And Better Cities

Squeeze the roadway as it nears the intersection and traffic slows to navigate the passage.

Expect to see more of these—the US Department of Transportation recently endorsed the design as a way to create “low-stress bicycle networks.”

Bike rails may be just a few metal tubes welded together, but for any cyclist who has waited on tiptoes for the light to change, they’re a welcome addition.

A light timed for cyclists gives them just a few seconds’ head start, but that’s enough to get up to speed before traffic roars to life.

Raising the crossing puts drivers at eye-height with pedestrians. “It makes it obvious that pedestrians rule,” says Steve Mouzon, an architect and urbanist.

By stopping all traffic at once, scramble crossings provide better separa­tion of cars and people, allowing foot traffic to move in any direction—even diagonally—in relative safety.

By reclaiming street parking, parklets offer pedestrians a bit of respite that, when well designed, can feel like a swanky sidewalk café, Mouzon says.

“One thing traffic engineers try to get rid of as quickly as possible is street trees,” Mouzon says. Bad idea. For a walkable street on a hot day, the more trees, the better.

On many bus routes, shelters protect waiting riders from the elements. Boarding goes faster if fares are collected on the street, not on the bus.

Overhead wires mar the street­scape and don’t give bus drivers much leeway. Chargers embedded in the pavement can juice up electric buses as they roll.

Subway stops often feel like caves—which can be great! Stockholm embraces subterranean chic, leaving bedrock exposed at some stops.

Cute eateries are the key to a great street. “There are few silver bullets in urbanism,” Mouzon says, “but this is one of them.”

The best use for a corner is, well, a corner store—anything people visit once a week or more. Bonus points to proprietors who face displays to the street and stock them with enticing stuff. One winner? Wine.

“Your first place is home. Your second is work. The third place can be a coffee shop or a pub,” Mouzon says. It gets people out on the sidewalks.