Description
Mapping Streets and Making Improvements
In this assignment, you will create maps of conditions on a street in your hometown, analyze how it could be improved and propose a redesign of the street.
1.) Create a Hometown Street Plan map. Choose a street in your hometown neighborhood. Choose a segment equivalent to about one lengthy city block and draw an overhead or aerial view of it, either manually (with paper and pencils, markers, colored pens, etc.) or digitally (using computer-aided tools such as Autodesk CAD, Adobe Illustrator, Google SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop, etc.). Label various elements of the street that you have learned about in this and other modules: sidewalks, travel lanes, street trees, bike ways, public transit stops, street furniture (e.g. benches or trash cans), traffic control devices (e.g. stop signs or traffic lights). No aerial view Google images will be accepted. Scan your drawings and upload them as a PDF. Scanners are available on campus in the libraries. If on-campus scanners are unavailable for you, you can consider downloading scanner apps on your mobile phones. Here is an option: If you want to take a photo of your map, please make sure the map is clear with an high resolution to view by your peers and TAs.
2.) Create a Hometown Street Cross-Section map. Draw a horizontal slice of the same street section that you focused on in Step 1. (Think of cutting a submarine sandwich and then looking at its layered contents). Label the street elements. Scan your drawings and upload them as a PDF. Scanners are available on campus in the libraries. Here is an example for your understanding:
3.) Analyze the street. Provide a narrative description (about 150 words) of your maps that gives an overview of your hometown street and an interpretation of neighborhood street patterns (including advantages and disadvantages). Discuss one particular street design element that makes an impression on you, for positive or negative reasons, and explain how that element could be further developed. Here is a helpful resource on street design elements:
4.) Create an updated Hometown Street Plan map and Cross-Section map. Create a new version of each of your original maps in which you experiment with ways to improve the street design as presented in this and other modules. Options include converting it to a “complete street,” which provides access opportunities in equal measure for walking, bicycling, riding public transit and driving. Label street elements as described above.
5.) Explain your redesign. Provide a narrative description explaining the purpose and significance of your street redesign, explaining why you added or omitted certain street design elements.
